ABSTRACTDisordered carbons that deliver high reversible capacity in electrochemical cells have been synthesized by using inorganic clays as templates to control the pore size and the surface area. The capacities obtained were much higher than those calculated if the resultant carbon had a graphitic-like structure. Computational chemistry was used to investigate the nature of lithium bonding in a carbon lattice unlike graphite. The lithium intercalated fullenere Lin-C60 was used as a model for our (non-graphitic) disordered carbon lattice. A dilithium-C60 system with a charge and multiplicity of (0,1) and a trilithium-C60 system with a charge and multiplicity of (0,4) were investigated. The spatial distribution of lithium ions in an electrochemical cell containing this novel disordered carbon material was investigated in situ by Li-7 NMR using an electrochemical cell that was incorporated into a toroid cavity nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imager. The concentration of solvated Li+ ions in the carbon anode appears to be larger than in the bulk electrolyte, is substantially lower near the copper/carbon interface, and does not change with cell charging.
Cover Feature: Ether‐Functionalized Pyrrolidinium‐Based Room Temperature Ionic Liquids: Physicochemical Properties, Molecular Dynamics, and the Lithium Ion Coordination Environment (15/2021)