Arizona State University

Arizona Board of Regents, a Body Corporate

C Austen Angell

Telpriore Greg Tucker

Changle Liu

Kang Xu

Tor Grande

Younes Ansari

Paul F McMillan

John R Holloway

Wu Xu

Masahiro Yoshizawa

Iolanda Santana Klein

Jean-Philippe Belieres

Leigang Xue

A battery includes an anode chamber configured to contain an anolyte and including an anode, a cathode chamber configured to contain a catholyte including a cathode, and a separator between the anode chamber and the cathode chamber. The anode includes sodium, and the cathode includes aluminum. The battery is configured to be operated above a melting point of the anolyte and the catholyte, such that the anolyte is a molten anolyte and the catholyte is a molten catholyte.

Battery with aluminum-containing cathode

Inorganic plastic crystal electrolytes, also referred to herein as inorganic plastic crystal conductors or single ion conductors including [ABC][M], where A is a tetravalent to hexavalent atom; B is a monovalent ligand; C is an oxyanion; M is an alkali metal; x is 4 when A is tetravalent, x is 5 when A is pentavalent, and x is 6 when A is hexavalent; y is an integer from 1 to x&#x2212;1 inclusive. [ABCy][M]is rotationally disordered and ionically conductive.

Alkali ion conducting plastic crystals

A liquid electrolyte formed by reacting phosphoric acid (HPO) in the liquid state with silicon tetrachloride (SiCl), thereby forming a fluid suspension. The fluid suspension is heated to yield a liquid electrolyte including phosphoric acid (HPO), pyrophosphoric acid (HPO), and a particulate solid comprising a silicophosphoric acid, wherein the silicophosphoric acid is an acidic molecular compound including silicon and phosphorus. A concentrated silicophosphoric acid composition prepared by removing most of the liquid from the liquid electrolyte is dissolved in water to yield a homogeneous solution. The homogeneous solution is dried to yield a solid electrolyte. In some cases, the homogenous solution is dried on a substrate to coat at least a portion of the substrate with a proton conductive solid electrolyte. A fuel cell may include the liquid electrolyte, the solid electrolyte, or the coated substrate.

Phosphoric acid-based electrolytes and applications thereof

Disclosed are developments in high temperature fuel cells including ionic liquids with high temperature stability and the storage of inorganic acids as di-anion salts of low volatility. The formation of ionically conducting liquids of this type having conductivities of unprecedented magnitude for non-aqueous systems is described. The stability of the di-anion configuration is shown to play a role in the high performance of the non-corrosive proton-transfer ionic liquids as high temperature fuel cell electrolytes. Performance of simple H(g) electrolyte/O(g) fuel cells with the new electrolytes is described. Superior performance both at ambient temperature and temperatures up to and above 200&#xb0; C. are achieved. Both neutral proton transfer salts and the acid salts with HSOanions, give good results, the bisulphate case being particularly good at low temperatures and very high temperatures. The performance of all electrolytes is improved by the addition of a small amount of involatile base of pKvalue intermediate between those of the acid and base that make the bulk electrolyte. The preferred case is the imidazole-doped ethylammonium hydrogensulfate which yields behavior superior in all respects to that of the industry standard phosphoric acid electrolyte.

Ionic liquids and ionic liquid acids with high temperature stability for fuel cell and other high temperature applications, method of making and cell employing same

High-conductivity alkali-metal-ion containing electrolytes comprising viscous liquid or rubbery solid alkali metal salts which obtain conductivity by the domainate motion of cation ions which, when produced in accordance herewith, remain freely mobile at low temperatures. One embodiment relates to molten alkali metal salt electrolytes comprised of one or more alkali metal salt compositions which are substantially non-crystalline and have glass transition temperatures below room temperature.

Alkali-metal-ion conducting electrolytes

The present invention relates generally to a novel and unique class of gly materials and methods of making such materials in which substantially all of the anions are nitride ions, in contrast to the oxide ions of conventional optical glasses, or the fluoride ions of the more recently discovered fluoride optical glasses. The chemical nature of these new glasses dispose the glassy materials to a remarkable combination of desirable properties, including, but not limited to, high hardness, high refractive index and high softening temperature.

Nitride glasses and methods of making same

A liquid, predominantly lithium-conducting, ionic electrolyte having exceptionally high conductivity at temperatures of 100.degree. C. or lower, including room temperature, and comprising the lithium salts selected from the group consisting of the thiocyanate, iodide, bromide, chloride, perchlorate, acetate, tetrafluoroborate, perfluoromethane sulfonate, perfluoromethane sulfonamide, tetrahaloaluminate, and heptahaloaluminate salts of lithium, with or without a magnesium-salt selected from the group consisting of the perchlorate and acetate salts of magnesium. Certain of the latter embodiments may also contain molecular additives from the group of acetonitrile (CH.sub.3 CN) succinnonitrile (CH.sub.2 CN).sub.2, and tetraglyme (CH.sub.3 --O--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --O--).sub.2 (or like solvents) solvated to a Mg.sup.+2 cation to lower the freezing point of the electrolyte below room temperature. Other particularly useful embodiments contain up to about 40, but preferably not more than about 25, mol percent of a long chain polyether polymer dissolved in the lithium salts to provide an elastic or rubbery solid electrolyte of high ambient temperature conductivity and exceptional 100.degree. C. conductivity. Another embodiment contains up to about but not more than 10 mol percent of a molecular solvent such as acetone.

Lithium ion conducting electrolytes

A liquid, predominantly lithium-conducting, ionic electrolyte is described which has exceptionally high conductivity at temperatures of 100.degree. C. or lower, including room temperature. It comprises molten lithium salts or salt mixtures in which a small amount of an anionic polymer lithium salt is dissolved to stabilize the liquid against recrystallization. Further, a liquid ionic electrolyte which has been rubberized by addition of an extra proportion of anionic polymer, and which has good chemical and electrochemical stability, is described. This presents an attractive alternative to conventional salt-in-polymer electrolytes which are not cationic conductors.

Growing community of inventors

Mesa, AZ, United States of America

C Austen Angell