Richard T Mayes

Richard T. Mayes is an American inventor from Knoxville, Tennessee with a remarkable achievement of 12 patents to his name. His area of expertise includes developing functional materials for extracting metal ions from liquid solutions and creating nanocomposites for use as cathodes in lithium-sulfur batteries.

His latest patented invention is a method for producing functionalized materials that extract metal ions from a solution by using a precursor material with nitrile groups. This material is then reacted with hydroxylamine or its derivative in a polar aprotic solvent to form amidoxime and imide dioxime groups. The functionalized material produced by this method has a higher capacity for uranium absorption compared to a similar process performed in only a protic solvent. Additionally, the invention is directed to the functionalized materials produced by this method and their application for extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

Mayes also created a new type of cathode for a lithium-sulfur battery by incorporating composite materials that contain sulfur and nitrogen into an electron-conducting porous composition. The cathode is produced by combining an S/N-doped mesoporous carbon composition with a binder and conductive carbon. The invention extends to the cathodes produced by the composite material for use in the lithium-sulfur battery.

Mayes works at UT-Battelle, Inc. along with colleagues Sheng Dai and Xiao-Guang Sun. Their work in developing new technologies for various fields including energy and healthcare is noteworthy. Such innovations and inventions are essential for the growth of industries and the betterment of society as a whole.