Molten Carbonate Electrolytes as Acid-Base Solvent Systems

摘要

Because of their applications in fuel cell electrochemistry and in problems such as the electrochemical recovery of breathing oxygen from carbon dioxide, the chemistry and electrochemistry of carbonates in the molten state have been the subject of considerable attention in the period of the past two decades. The concern of the present communication is a survey of the recent contributions in this area, particularly relative to the classification of molten carbonates as solvent systems and as electrolytes. Thermodynamic and transport properties are first considered; a development of the acid-base concept relative to molten carbonates is next examined, and its application to corrosion chemistry and the solubility of oxides in molten carbonates is illustrated. The electrolysis of molten carbonates (cathodic phenomena) is discussed to illustrate the thermodynamic method in this area. A compilation of salient results in the area of molten carbonates is reported as an Appendix of this communication. (Author)