(Physical and Analytical Electrochemistry Division Max Bredig Award Address In Molten Salt and Ionic Liquid Chemistry) The Ionic Melting Pot: My Research in Molten Salts and Ionic Liquids

摘要

Molten salts and ionic liquids are a unique class of solvents that offer many advantages, such as negligible vapor pressures, wide liquidus ranges, good thermal stability, and tunable solubilities of both organic and inorganic species. This presentation will provide an overview of my research in the following five areas related to molten salts and ionic liquids: (1) speciation and thermodynamics of actinides and fission products in molten salts, (2) metal-ion extraction based on ionic liquids, (3) gas separation through functionalized ionic liquids, (3) synthesis of functional materials (e.g, carbon, porous materials) using molten salts and ionic liquids as reaction media, (4) electrolytes based on task-specific ionic liquids, and (5) emerging porous ionic liquids. The overall goal of my research is to investigate fundamental principles underpinning ionic media through tailored interactions for energy-related applications.