Eutectic Solvent Composition for Low-Viscosity Green Electrolytes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional solvents used in industries are toxic, volatile, costly, and difficult to dispose of, while existing eutectic solvents face limitations such as high viscosity, limited solute solubility, and high production costs, necessitating a novel solvent with improved characteristics like low freezing and eutectic points, low viscosity, and high thermal stability for broader industrial applications.
Innovation Solution
A Novel Eutectic Solvent (NES) comprising derivatives of methanesulfonic acid with specific metal ions and ammonium salts, combined with hydrogen bond donors, offering a wide potential window, high conductivity, and low viscosity, which remains liquid at ambient temperatures without requiring special storage conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional solvents (ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate, propylene carbonate) are used, then electrochemical application and chemical synthesis can be performed, but the solvents are highly toxic, volatile, carcinogenic, mutagenic, costly, and difficult to dispose of
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using eutectic mixtures of salts (e.g., lithium chloride, sodium bromide) with organic compounds (e.g., ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate) in specific ratios. This creates solvents with fundamentally different properties - non-toxic, non-volatile, and environmentally benign - while maintaining the required electrochemical performance for large-scale industrial applications
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite eutectic solvent systems combining multiple components (salts + organic compounds) in specific proportions. These composite solvents integrate the advantages of individual components while eliminating their disadvantages, achieving a balance between safety, performance, and industrial scalability
2Reliability
If ionic liquids are used as alternatives, then wide electrochemical potential window and high ionic conductivity are achieved, but production cost increases and hydrolysis stability decreases due to halogen components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the harmful halogen components from ionic liquid structures while retaining the essential electrochemical performance characteristics. The eutectic solvent system achieves wide potential windows and high conductivity without requiring expensive, halogen-based ionic liquid structures
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive, readily available salts and organic compounds to create eutectic solvents that are cost-effective for large-scale production. These solvents can be easily replaced and disposed of without environmental harm, eliminating the need for expensive, specialized ionic liquids
3Object-affected harmful factors
If existing eutectic solvents are used, then green and sustainable alternative is provided, but viscosity is high and solute solubility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the compositional parameters of eutectic solvents by adjusting salt-to-organic compound ratios and selecting specific component combinations. This tuning reduces viscosity and enhances solute solubility while maintaining the environmental benefits of green solvent systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates eutectic solvent formulations with locally optimized properties for specific applications. By selecting particular salt-organic compound pairs and ratios, the solvent properties (viscosity, solubility) are tailored to match the requirements of specific electrochemical or chemical processes
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The NES exhibits improved safety, environmental friendliness, and cost-effectiveness, with enhanced solubility, thermal stability, and recyclability, enabling applications in electrochemical processes, energy storage, and CO2 capture, among others, while being non-toxic and non-flammable.
Implementation Method 1
ESs are eutectic liquids having melting points that are much lower than the melting point of the corresponding compounds that are complexed in the synthesis of the solvent
Implementation Method 2
one or more hydrogen bond donor(s) selected from a group consisting of urea, thiourea, glycerol, oxalic acid, acetic acid, ethylene glycol, acetamide, benzamide, adipic acid, benzoic acid, citric acid
Data Source
AI summary
A novel eutectic solvent (NES) includes one or more derivative(s) of methanesulfonic, one or more ammonium salt(s) and one or more hydrogen bond donor(s). The disclosed NES may exhibit qualities such as low freezing and eutectic points, low viscosity, negligible vapor pressure, non-volatility, less water content, high potential window, high thermal stability, high solubility, long shelf life, high recyclability, high biodegradability, high ionic character, air and moisture stability, non-corrosive, non-mutagenic, economical, non-flammable, etc., hence having broader applications.