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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2020

Optimal conditions for efficient flow-electrode capacitive deionization

One of the current barriers to achieving fast and stable performance for flow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is determining optimal operating parameters. To date, however, no consensus has been reached for universal conditions for FCDI. Through experimental and modeling approaches in this study, we systematically evaluated the influence of applied potential (V = 1.2–2.4 V) and electrolyte concentration (C0 = 0.05–0.5 M) on the FCDI and electrodialysis (ED) desalination processes. Evaluation indicators include the concentration decrease in the desalinated solution, salt removal rates, pH fluctuations, charge efficiency, and energy consumption. Results demonstrated that the dynamic curves of concentration decrease at 2.0 V nearly overlapped with the response at 1.6 V at certain electrolyte concentrations, while the salt removal rates at 0.2 M salt concentration were the best among all concentrations tested at a range of applied potential. Therefore, it was thus concluded that the optimum conditions for FCDI operation are 1.6 V applied potential and 0.2 M initial salt concentration, under which faradaic reactions are not being triggered, and concentration polarization does not significantly affect ion transfer. Furthermore, a comparative study between FCDI and ED indicated that ED has a different dependence on the electrolyte concentration and applied potential, in which the desalination can be linearly enhanced with increasing potential but greatly limited at high concentrations. Due to the presence of carbon particles in FCDI, the enhanced charge/ion transfer is probably the main reason for the different desalination performance of FCDI and ED. Overall, the optimal operating parameters obtained in this work could be used as basic test conditions for further development of new carbon-based materials for FCDI.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1992

Efficacy of copper and silver ions with iodine in the inactivation of Pseudomonas cepacia

Alternatives to chlorination of water have been sought for reasons which include trihalomethane formation, possible bacterial regrowth, the high concentrations of chlorine required in certain circumstances, and the taste, odour and bodily irritation in chlorine-treated water. Electrolytically generated Cu and Ag ions at low levels, in addition to very low chlorine concentrations, have been suggested as an alternative to routine chlorination. We have examined the combination of Cu and Ag ions with low levels of iodine. Pseudomonas cepacia was grown either in rich medium or under nutrient restriction prior to disinfection. Survival of the organism and its ability to regrow after treatment as well as the effects of varying buffers, metal ion and iodine concentrations were determined. Low concentrations of metal ions (100 ppb Cu and 11 ppb Ag) and iodine (200 ppb) were more effective than either metal ions or iodine alone against Ps. cepacia grown on rich agar or in low nutrient buffer. After iodination, buffer-grown suspensions recovered to their original cell concentrations within 7 d. When Cu and Ag ions were used with or without iodine, regrowth was prevented. The results show that low concentrations of Cu and Ag in combination with iodine permit effective disinfection of bacteria after cultivation on either rich media or under nutrient restriction. These results, along with published data, suggest that the combination of these metals with halogenation may have applications in the disinfection of both recreational and potable water.

NASA Discipline Environmental Health↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fast Charge‐Transfer Rates in Li‐CO 2 Batteries with a Coupled Cation‐Electron Transfer Process

Li-CO 2 batteries with a high theoretical energy density (1876 Wh kg −1 ) have unique benefits for reversible carbon fixation for energy storage systems. However, due to lack of stable and highly active catalysts, the long-term operation of Li-CO 2 batteries is limited to low current densities (mainly <0.2 mA cm −2 ) that are far from practical conditions. In this work, it is discovered that, with an ionic liquid-based electrolyte, highly active and stable transition metal trichalcogenide alloy catalysts of Sb 0.67 Bi 1.33 X 3 (X = S, Te) enable operation of the Li-CO 2 battery at a very high current rate of 1 mA cm −2 for up to 220 cycles. It is revealed that: i) the type of chalcogenide (Te vs S) significantly affects the electronic and catalytic properties of the catalysts, ii) a coupled cation-electron charge transfer process facilitates the carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO 2 RR) occurring during discharge, and iii) the concentration of ionic liquid in the electrolyte controls the number of participating CO 2 molecules in reactions. A combination of these key factors is found to be crucial for a successful operation of the Li-CO 2 chemistry at high current rates. This work introduces a new class of catalysts with potential to fundamentally solve challenges of this type of batteries.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Monitoring of Ionic Silver Biocide with Capacitively-Coupled Contactless Conductivity Detection (C4D)

Monitoring of biocide dosing in spacecraft potable water systems is desirable to ensure dosing system operation and resultant microbial control. Electrolytic conductivity is linearly related to the concentration ionic silver (Ag+, the baseline biocide for future NASA missions) chemically dosed into highly purified water, and could serve as a proxy measurement. Traditional conductivity cells rely on immersed metal or graphite electrodes, which may potentially be subject to significant current-induced or auto-galvanic deposition of Ag+. Furthermore, oxide fouling may potentially induce measurement errors. Capacitively-coupled contactless conductivity detection (C4D) is a promising alternative. C4D uses electrodes placed outside an inert, non-conductive flow path, potentially mitigating such problems. We identified and purchased a commercial C4D system with claimed performance (conductivity range: 20 nS/cm to 4 µS/cm) appropriate for this application. We characterized the instrument’s performance with conductivity standards and Ag+ solutions. We began investigations considering practical and long-term detector operation, including potential current-induced deposition of conductive deposits at the tubing wall. In addition, we designed a side-stream flow system to provide liquid flow through the narrow tubing (1/16” outer diameter) required by the detector and characterized the performance of the combined C4D detector/flow system. Finally, we completed theoretical modeling of expected conductivity change with multiple dosing techniques and water chemistries.

Lance Dean Delzeit↗
NASA NTRS1980

Preparation and evaluation of advanced electrocatalysts for phosphoric acid fuel cells

Results are presented for hydrogen oxidation and hydrogen oxidation poisoned by carbon monoxide at levels between 0 and 30%. Due to the high activities that are now being observed for our platinum based electrocatalysts, the hydrogen concentrations were reduced to 10% levels in the gas supplies. Perturbation techniques were used to determine that a mechanism for the efficient operation of our porous gas diffusion electrodes is diffusion of the carbon monoxide out of the electrode structure through the electrolyte film on the electro-catalyst. A survey of the literature on platinum group materials (PGM) was carried out so that an identification of successful electrocatalysts could be made. Two PGM electrocatalysts were prepared and performance data for hydrogen oxidation in hot phosphoric acid in the presence of high carbon monoxide concentrations showed that they matched the best platinum on carbon electrocatalysts but with an electrocatalyst cost that was half of the platinum catalyst cost.

Stonehart, P.↗
NASA NTRS2008

DMAC and NMP as Electrolyte Additives for Li-Ion Cells

Dimethyl acetamide (DMAC) and N-methyl pyrrolidinone (NMP) have been found to be useful as high-temperature-resilience-enhancing additives to a baseline electrolyte used in rechargeable lithium-ion electrochemical cells. The baseline electrolyte, which was previously formulated to improve low-temperature performance, comprises LiPF6 dissolved at a concentration of 1.0 M in a mixture comprising equal volume proportions of ethylene carbonate, diethyl carbonate, and dimethyl carbonate. This and other electrolytes comprising lithium salts dissolved in mixtures of esters (including alkyl carbonates) have been studied in continuing research directed toward extending the lower limits of operating temperatures and, more recently, enhancing the high-temperature resilience of such cells. This research at earlier stages, and the underlying physical and chemical principles, were reported in numerous previous NASA Tech Briefs articles. Although these electrolytes provide excellent performance at low temperatures (typically as low as -40 C), when the affected Li-ion cells are subjected to high temperatures during storage and cycling, there occur irreversible losses of capacity accompanied by power fade and deterioration of low-temperature performance. The term "high-temperature resilience" signifies, loosely, the ability of a cell to resist such deterioration, retaining as much as possible of its initial charge/discharge capacity during operation or during storage in the fully charged condition at high temperature. For the purposes of the present development, a temperature is considered to be high if it equals or exceeds the upper limit (typically, 30 C) of the operating-temperature range for which the cells in question are generally designed.

Smart, Marshall↗
DOE OSTI2023

Anion-tethered Single Lithium-ion Conducting Polyelectrolytes through UV-induced Free Radical Polymerization for Improved Morphological Stability of Lithium Metal Anodes

Single Li + ion conducting polyelectrolytes (SICs), which feature covalently tethered counter-anions along their backbone, have the potential to mitigate dendrite formation by reducing concentration polarization and preventing salt depletion. However, due to their low ionic conductivity and complicated synthetic procedure, the successful validation of these claimed advantages in lithium metal (Li 0 ) anode batteries remains limited. In this study, we fabricated a SIC electrolyte using a single-step UV polymerization approach. The resulting electrolyte exhibited a high Li + transference number (t + ) of 0.85 and demonstrated good Li + conductivity (6.3×10 -5 S/cm at room temperature), which is comparable to that of a benchmark dual ion conductor (DIC, 9.1×10 -5 S/cm). Benefitting from the high transference number of SIC, it displayed a three-fold higher critical current density (2.4 mA/cm 2 ) compared to DIC (0.8 mA/cm 2 ) by successfully suppressing concentration polarization-induced short-circuiting. Additionally, the t + significantly influenced the deposition behavior of Li0, with SIC yielding a uniform, compact, and mosaic-like morphology, while the low t + DIC resulted in a porous morphology with Li 0 whiskers. Using the SIC electrolyte, Li 0 ||LiFePO 4 cells exhibited stable operation for 4500 cycles with 70.5 % capacity retention at 22 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Quantifying and Suppressing Proton Intercalation to Enable High-Voltage Zn-Ion Batteries

Rechargeable Zn-ion batteries (ZIBs) are widely regarded as promising candidates for large-scale energy storage applications. Like most multivalent battery systems (based on Zn, Mg, Ca, etc.), further progress in ZIB development relies on the discovery and design of novel cathode hosts capable of reversible Zn 2+ (de)intercalation. This work employs VPO 4 F as a ZIB cathode and explores ensuing intercalation mechanisms along with interfacial dynamics during cycling to quantify the water dynamics in concentrated electrolytes and/or hybrid aqueous-non aqueous (HANEs) electrolyte(s). Like most oxide-based cathode materials, proton (H + ) intercalation dominates electrochemical activity during discharge of Zn x H y VPO 4 F in aqueous media due to the hydroxylated nature of the interface. Such H + electrochemistry diminishes low-rate and/or long-term electrochemical performance of ZIBs which inhibits implementation for practical applications. Thus, quantification of the water dynamics in various electrolytes is demonstrated for the first time. Detailed investigations of water mobility in various concentrated electrolytes and HANEs systems enable the design of an electrolyte that enhances aqueous anodic stability and suppresses water/proton activity during discharge. Tuning Zn 2+ /H + intercalation kinetics simultaneously allows for a high voltage (1.9 V) and long-lasting aqueous zinc-ion battery: Zn|Zn(OTf) 2 · n H 2 O-PC|Zn x H y VPO 4 F.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Anion-tethered Single Lithium-ion Conducting Polyelectrolytes through UV-induced Free Radical Polymerization for Improved Morphological Stability of Lithium Metal Anodes

Single Li + ion conducting polyelectrolytes (SICs), which feature covalently tethered counter-anions along their backbone, have the potential to mitigate dendrite formation by reducing concentration polarization and preventing salt depletion. However, due to their low ionic conductivity and complicated synthetic procedure, the successful validation of these claimed advantages in lithium metal (Li 0 ) anode batteries remains limited. In this study, we fabricated a SIC electrolyte using a single-step UV polymerization approach. The resulting electrolyte exhibited a high Li + transference number (t + ) of 0.85 and demonstrated good Li + conductivity (6.3×10 -5 S/cm at room temperature), which is comparable to that of a benchmark dual ion conductor (DIC, 9.1×10 -5 S/cm). Benefitting from the high transference number of SIC, it displayed a three-fold higher critical current density (2.4 mA/cm 2 ) compared to DIC (0.8 mA/cm 2 ) by successfully suppressing concentration polarization-induced short-circuiting. Additionally, the t + significantly influenced the deposition behavior of Li 0 , with SIC yielding a uniform, compact, and mosaic-like morphology, while the low t + DIC resulted in a porous morphology with Li 0 whiskers. In conclusion, using the SIC electrolyte, Li 0 ||LiFePO 4 cells exhibited stable operation for 4500 cycles with 70.5 % capacity retention at 22 °C.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Engineering Catalyst–Electrolyte Microenvironments to Optimize the Activity and Selectivity for the Electrochemical Reduction of CO 2 on Cu and Ag

We report the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 R) driven by renewably generated electricity (e.g., solar and wind) offers a promising means for reusing the CO 2 released during the production of cement, steel, and aluminum as well as the production of ammonia and methanol. If CO 2 could be removed from the atmosphere at acceptable costs (i.e., <$100/t of CO 2 ), then CO 2 R could be used to produce carbon-containing chemicals and fuels in a fully sustainable manner. Economic considerations dictate that CO 2 R current densities must be in the range of 0.1 to 1 A/cm 2 and selectivity toward the targeted product must be high in order to minimize separation costs. Industrially relevant operating conditions can be achieved by using gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) to maximize the transport of species to and from the cathode and combining such electrodes with a solid-electrolyte membrane by eliminating the ohmic losses associated with liquid electrolytes. Additionally, high product selectivity can be attained by careful tuning of the microenvironment near the catalyst surface (e.g., the pH, the concentrations of CO 2 and H 2 O, and the identities of the cations in the double layer adjacent to the catalyst surface).

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2024

Beyond conventional batteries: a review on semi-solid and redox targeting flow batteries-LiFePO{sub 4} as a case study.

Clean and sustainable energy is becoming increasingly crucial to tackle the current energy crisis. However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources presents a challenge for their effective implementation. Redox flow batteries (RFBs) have emerged as a promising solution to this problem, as they can help enhance the stability of grid networks and promote the use of renewable energy sources. RFBs are highly modular and scalable systems that can be customized to meet the power and energy requirements of different renewable energy plants. Moreover, they offer several advantages over conventional battery technologies, including cost and safety concerns. However, conventional RFBs have limited energy densities due to the low solubility of their active species in electrolyte. To overcome this limitation, semi-solid (SSRFBs) and redox targeting (RTFBs) flow batteries have been proposed. These systems feature high concentrations of active species and impressive energy densities, making them highly attractive for renewable energy applications. LiFePO4 (LFP) is a highly promising active material for semi-solid and targeting flow batteries. One of the key advantages of LFP is its low raw materials cost, as it is composed of Earth-abundant elements such as iron and phosphorus. This makes it an attractive option for large-scale battery production. The recent developments in SSRFBs and RTFBs using LFP as catholyte hold great promise for the future of sustainable energy storage. The combination of LFP's low cost, safety, durability, and high energy density with the modularity and scalability of flow battery systems make for a compelling solution to the challenges of intermittent renewable energy sources. Ongoing research and development in this area will likely yield even further improvements in the performance and efficiency of LFP-based flow batteries, opening exciting new possibilities for sustainable energy storage.

El Halya, Nabil↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Laboratory Assessment and Optimization of Nanoparticle-Stabilized CO2 Foams for Hydraulic Fracturing Applications

In this research, we have conducted a comprehensive assessment and optimization of aqueous CO2 foams for fracturing applications. The performance of CO2 foams is evaluated using three major matrices: foam stability, foam apparent viscosity, and leakoff. The response of these performance matrices to different internal factors and external conditions is evaluated. These factors and conditions include foam quality, nanoparticle concentration, salinity, shear rate, surfactant type and concentration, polymer concentration, and temperature. Before foam generation, the colloidal stability of the nanosilica dispersion is evaluated at different types of electrolytes and under high temperatures. With a good salinity resistance and thermal stability, the nanosilica is then used for the entire set of foam generation experiments. The foam configuration with optimized parameters is used for the leakoff test, which serves as a supplementary section to further demonstrate the advantages of the proposed foam system. Then the final commercialization section provides a general view of what should be considered to commercialize the research results. In general, it is found that the aqueous CO2 foam system has demonstrated a good potential to be used as a fracturing fluid. The design of the foam system needs to consider formations properties and formation fluid properties etc. to realize the optimal performance of the system on a laboratory scale.

02 PETROLEUM↗
DOE OSTI2024

Effectiveness of Vapor Corrosion Inhibitors Under Bacterial Activity for Aboveground Storage Tank Application

Bacterial activity is known to influence corrosion and can result in increasing soil-side corrosion of the aboveground storage tanks (ASTs) floor plates. Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP) defines this phenomenon as Microbiologically Influenced Corrosion (MIC). It has been hypothesized that vapor corrosion inhibitors (VCIs) can not only function in presence of bacterial activity but can also function as biocides. Experiments were conducted to study the effect of bacterial activity on corrosion in the sand pad conditions and effect of VCIs in mitigating MIC. Various bacteria cultures were grown using commercially available culture media, and coupon exposure tests were performed with field sand mixed with the culture media. To this end, control and VCI-dosed electrolytes were prepared using the field sand plus bacteria cultures. Pre- and post-test bacteria concentration estimation and measurements, respectively, in the VCI-dosed electrolytes indicated that VCIs do not function as biocides, however, VCIs are highly effective for mitigating corrosion in presence of bacterial activity.

Shukla, Pavan K.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Electrolyte Lifetime in Aqueous Organic Redox Flow Batteries: A Critical Review

Aqueous organic redox flow batteries (RFBs) could enable widespread integration of renewable energy, but only if costs are sufficiently low. Because the levelized cost of storage for an RFB is a function of electrolyte lifetime, understanding and improving the chemical stability of active reactants in RFBs is a critical research challenge. We review known or hypothesized molecular decomposition mechanisms for all five classes of aqueous redox-active organics and organometallics for which cycling lifetime results have been reported: quinones, viologens, aza-aromatics, iron coordination complexes, and nitroxide radicals. We collect, analyze, and compare capacity fade rates from all aqueous organic electrolytes that have been utilized in the capacity-limiting side of flow or hybrid flow/nonflow cells, noting also their redox potentials and demonstrated concentrations of transferrable electrons. We categorize capacity fade rates as being “high” (>1%/day), “moderate” (0.1–1%/day), “low” (0.02–0.1%/day), and “extremely low” (≤0.02%/day) and discuss the degree to which the fade rates have been linked to decomposition mechanisms. Capacity fade is observed to be time-denominated rather than cycle-denominated, with a temporal rate that can depend on molecular concentrations and electrolyte state of charge through, e.g., bimolecular decomposition mechanisms. We then review measurement methods for capacity fade rate and find that simple galvanostatic charge–discharge cycling is inadequate for assessing capacity fade when fade rates are low or extremely low and recommend refining methods to include potential holds for accurately assessing molecular lifetimes under such circumstances. We consider separately symmetric cell cycling results, the interpretation of which is simplified by the absence of a different counter-electrolyte. We point out the chemistries with low or extremely low established fade rates that also exhibit open circuit potentials of 1.0 V or higher and transferrable electron concentrations of 1.0 M or higher, which are promising performance characteristics for RFB commercialization. We indicate important directions for future research.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Synthetic Accessibility and Sodium Ion Conductivity of the Na8–x A x P2O9 (NAP) High-Temperature Sodium Superionic Conductor Framework

Advancement of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) for all solid-state batteries typically focuses on modification of a known structural framework to improve conductivity, e.g., cation substitution for an immobile ion or varying the concentration of the mobile ions. Novel frameworks can be disruptive by enabling fast ion conduction aided by different structure and diffusion mechanisms, thereby unlocking optimal conductors with different properties. Herein, we perform a high-throughput survey of a structural framework for sodium ion conduction, Na8–x A x P2O9 (NAP), to understand the family’s thermodynamic stability, synthesizability, and ionic conduction. We show that the parent phase Na4TiP2O9 (NTP) undergoes a structural distortion (with accompanying conductivity transition) due to unstable phonons arising from pseudo-Jahn–Teller mode in the 1D titanium chains. Screening compounds in which Ti is substituted by other metals computationally reveal a number of candidates that are predicted to be low in formation energy and have high predicted ionic conductivities. High-throughput experimental and subsequent methodology optimization trials deliver one new compound, Na4SnP2O9 (NSP). X-ray diffraction (XRD), microscopy, and spectroscopy characterization indicate that the room-temperature structure of NSP is similar to the high-temperature, orthorhombic NTP phase but with some small unresolved structural differences. These uncharacterized structural details are speculated to limit the ion conductivity. Temperature-dependent XRD and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy indicate multiple coupled conductivity–structure transitions at a high temperature. We demonstrate the challenges with synthesis development and a priori identification of promising SSE phases as a major bottleneck in new (energy) materials development.

Chemical reactions↗
DOE OSTI2023

Unraveling the convoluted and dynamic interphasial mechanisms on Li metal anode

Accurate understanding of the chemistry of solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) is key to developing new electrolytes for high-energy batteries using lithium metal (Li-0) anodes(1). SEI is generally believed to be formed by the reactions between Li-0 and electrolyte(2,3). However, our new study shows this is not the whole story. Through synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction and pair distribution function analysis, we reveal a much more convoluted formation mechanism of SEI, which receives considerable contributions from electrolyte, cathode, moisture and native surface species on Li-0, with highly dynamic nature during cycling. Using isotope labelling, we traced the origin of LiH to electrolyte solvent, moisture and a new source: the native surface species (LiOH) on pristine Li-0. When lithium accessibility is very limited as in the case of anode-free cells, LiOH develops into plate-shaped large crystals during cycling. Alternatively, when the lithium source is abundant, as in the case of Li||NMC811 cells, LiOH reacts with Li-0 to form LiH and Li2O. While the desired anion-derived LiF-rich SEI is typically found in the concentrated electrolytes or their derivatives, we found it can also be formed in low-concentration electrolyte via the crosstalk effect, emphasizing the importance of formation cycle protocol and opening up opportunities for low-cost electrolyte development.

Polzin, Bryant J.↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Micelle Electrolyte Enabled by Fluorinated Ether Additives for Polysulfide Suppression and Li Metal Stabilization in Li-S Battery

The Li-S battery is a promising next-generation technology due to its high theoretical energy density (2600 Wh kg -1 ) and low active material cost. However, poor cycling stability and coulombic efficiency caused by polysulfide dissolution have proven to be major obstacles for a practical Li-S battery implementation. In this work, we develop a novel strategy to suppress polysulfide dissolution using hydrofluoroethers (HFEs) with bi-functional, amphiphlic surfactant-like design: a polar lithiophilic "head" attached to a fluorinated lithiophobic "tail." A unique solvation mechanism is proposed for these solvents whereby dissociated lithium ions are readily coordinated with lithiophilic "head" to induce self-assembly into micelle-like complex structures. Complex formation is verified experimentally by changing the additive structure and concentration using small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). These HFE-based electrolytes are found to prevent polysulfide dissolution and to have excellent chemical compatibility with lithium metal: Li||Cu stripping/plating tests reveal high coulombic efficiency (>99.5%), modest polarization, and smooth surface morphology of the uniformly deposited lithium. Li-S cells are demonstrated with 1395 mAh g-1 initial capacity and 71.9% retention over 100 cycles at >99.5% efficiency-evidence that the micelle structure of the amphiphilic additives in HFEs can prohibit polysulfide dissolution while enabling facile Li + transport and anode passivation.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Speciation of Transition Metal Dissolution in Electrolyte from Common Cathode Materials

Significant capacity loss has been observed across extended cycling of lithium-ion batteries cycled to high potential. One of the sources of capacity fade is transition metal dissolution from the cathode active material, ion migration through the electrolyte, and deposition on the solid-electrolyte interphase on the anode. While much research has been conducted on the oxidation state of the transition metal in the cathode active material or deposited on the anode, there have been limited investigations of the oxidation state of the transition metal ions dissolved in the electrolyte. Here, in this work, X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been performed on electrolytes extracted from cells built with four different cathode active materials (LiMn 2 O 4 (LMO), LiNi 0.5 Mn 1.5 O 4 (LNMO), LiNi 0.8 Mn 0.1 Co 0.1 O 2 (NMC811), and (x Li 2 MnO 3 *(1-x) LiNi a Mn b Co c O 2 , with a+b+c=1) (LMRNMC)) that were cycled at either high or standard potentials to determine the oxidation state of Mn and Ni in solution. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry has been performed on the anodes from these cells to determine the concentration of deposited transition metal ions. While transition metal ions were found dissolved in all electrolytes, the oxidation state(s) of Mn and Ni were determined to be dependent on the cathode material and independent of cycling potential.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗