Whether lithium–sulfur batteries succeed hinges largely on taming sulfur's complex electrochemistry, over which, choice of electrolyte exerts an equally complex influence.

Chemical reaction studies of N-methyl-N-propyl-pyrrolidinium-bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide-based ionic liquid with the lithium metal surface were performed using ab initio molecular dynamics (aMD) simulations and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The molecular dynamics simulations showed rapid and spontaneous decomposition of the ionic liquid anion, with subsequent formation of long-lived species such as lithium fluoride. The simulations also revealed the cation to retain its structure by generally moving away from the lithium surface. The XPS experiments showed evidence of decomposition of the anion, consistent with the aMD simulations and also of cation decomposition and it is envisaged that this is due to the longer time scale for the XPS experiment compared to the time scale of the aMD simulation. Overall experimental results confirm the majority of species suggested by the simulation. The rapid chemical decomposition of the ionic liquid was shown to form a solid electrolyte interphase composed of the breakdown products of the ionic liquid components in the absence of an applied voltage.

We review the literature on the use of computational methods to study the reactions between carbon dioxide and aqueous organic amines used to capture CO prior to storage, reuse, or sequestration. The focus is largely on the use of high level quantum chemical methods to study these reactions, although the review also summarizes research employing hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics methods and molecular dynamics. We critically review the effects of basis set size, quantum chemical method, solvent models, and other factors on the accuracy of calculations to provide guidance on the most appropriate methods, the expected performance, method limitations, and future needs and trends. The review also discusses experimental studies of amine-CO equilibria, kinetics, measurement and prediction of amine pK values, and degradation reactions of aqueous organic amines. Computational simulations of carbon capture reaction mechanisms are also comprehensively described, and the relative merits of the zwitterion, termolecular, carbamic acid, and bicarbonate mechanisms are discussed in the context of computational and experimental studies. Computational methods will become an increasingly valuable and complementary adjunct to experiments for understanding mechanisms of amine-CO reactions and in the design of more efficient carbon capture agents with acceptable cost and toxicities.

We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the (010) surface of LiFePO(4) in contact with an organic liquid electrolyte (OLE), ethylene carbonate : dimethyl carbonate (3 : 7) with approximately 1 mol kg(-1) LiPF(6), and an ionic liquid-based electrolyte (ILE), 1-ethyl 3-methyl-imidazolium: bis(fluorosulfonyl)imide (EMIM(+) : FSI(-)) with approximately 1 mol kg(-1) LiFSI. Surface-induced structure that extends about 1 nm from the LiFePO(4) surface was observed in both electrolytes. The electrostatic potential at the LiFePO(4) surface was found to be negative relative to the bulk electrolyte reflecting an excess of negative charge from the electrolyte coordinating surface Li(+). In the ILE system negative surface charge is partially offset by a high density of EMIM(+) cations coordinating surface oxygen. The electrostatic potential exhibits a (positive) maximum about 3 A from the LiFePO(4) surface which, when combined with the reduced ability of the highly structured electrolytes to solvate Li(+) cations, results in a free energy barrier of almost 4 kcal mol(-1) for penetration of the interfacial electrolyte layer by Li(+). The resistance for bringing Li(+) from the bulk electrolyte to the LiFePO(4) surface through this interfacial barrier was found to be small for both the OLE and ILE. However, we find that the ability of EMIM(+) cations to donate positive charge to LiFePO(4)/electrolyte interface may result in a significant decrease in the concentration of Li(+) at the surface and a corresponding increase in impedance to Li(+) intercalation into LiFePO(4), particularly at lower temperatures.