Among the many technical problems that limited lithium-sulfur battery technology, the most difficult one was the shuttle effect.
The so-called shuttle effect referred to the polysulfide (Li2Sx) intermediate produced by the positive electrode during the charging and discharging process. It would dissolve into the electrolyte and diffuse through the diaphragm toward the negative electrode, finally coming into direct contact with the metal lithium at the negative electrode.
In order to conquer lithium-sulfur battery technology and complete the patent layout before ExxonMobil, Lu Zhou, who was responsible for the future of China's new energy industry, had a competition with Professor Stanley on this project.
Professor Stanley, with the support of ExxonMobil, used an extremely dishonorable method to bribe an assistant at Lu Zhou's Sarrot Research Institute and steal the caged carbon molecular model that Lu Zhou gave Sarrot to study.
However, this was all thanks to Lu Zhou.
Not only did Professor Stanley go further and further down the "wrong" path, but he also helped Lu Zhou complete the system mission [Analyze the carbon nanospheres under the modified PDMS film]. This helped Lu Zhou reach level 4 in materials science, which indirectly helped him break through the bottleneck of a Nobel Prize-level research project …
It had been so many years, but Lu Zhou had never called this old professor to thank him. He felt quite bad.
The black powder in the test tube in his hand was the caged carbon molecules that Professor Stanley had researched, which were the carbon nanospheres found on Debris No.1.
Yang Xu: "This is …"
"A kind of caged carbon molecules used to transport oxygen molecules, although I prefer to call them carbon nanospheres."
Lu Zhou handed the test tube to Yang Xu and said, "Don't forget that in addition to the diaphragm between the gas exchange chamber and the outside world, our lithium anode material also has a layer of modified PDMS film. When the oxygen molecule concentration difference between the two sides of the film reaches a certain value, it will transport oxygen molecules from one side to the other like little bees."
In short, it added two layers of insurance to the oxygen-nitrogen separation system. The first layer of insurance was the selective passage of oxygen molecules through the membrane, which was the mixture of organic compounds listed on the whiteboard by Lu Zhou. The purpose of the insurance was to create a relatively pure oxygen environment with an oxygen content of up to 98%!
The second insurance was the modified PDMS film on the lithium anode material itself!
Only after adding hollow carbon spheres, the modified PDMS film on the surface of the lithium anode would transport oxygen molecules from high-purity oxygen to the surface of the lithium anode material.
"… We can even control the rate of the lithium oxidation reaction by modifying the number of carbon nanospheres on the PDMS film, thereby indirectly controlling the performance of the battery."
Yang Xu's eyes were filled with shock as he listened to Lu Zhou's description.
Does this thing really work?
Although he really wanted to ask this, as a researcher, asking such a stupid question when the sample was already in his hands was simply a disgrace.
Without any hesitation, he brought the test tube to the side of an experimental device.
There was a battery mold and a protective gas operation box, which was specially used to assemble battery tools and conduct tests.
It was easy to test Lu Zhou's theory; he didn't even need a complete lithium-air battery model.
He only needed to make a lithium metal sheet covered by the modified PDMS material mixed with the carbon nanospheres, then expose it to a series of environments such as air, pure oxygen, pure carbon dioxide, pure nitrogen, and so on. This way, he could easily know if it had the properties to allow oxygen to pass through, and if it only allowed oxygen to pass through.
After complicated preparations and patient waiting, the results of the experiment finally came out under everyone's expectant gazes.
In the air environment, the reaction of the sample was not obvious. There was a very small amount of oxide on the surface, which was confirmed to be lithium oxide!
In a series of environments such as nitrogen and carbon dioxide, the sample did not react at all!
As for the pure oxygen environment …
Just like Lu Zhou said, the entire surface of the lithium anode had undergone an amazing change!
Lu Zhou looked at Yang Xu, who didn't know how to express his shock. He smiled and said in a relaxed tone, "If you observe the entire reaction process under microscopic conditions, you'll be even more surprised."
Yang Xu gulped and said with difficulty, "This experiment … You completed it a long time ago?"
Lu Zhou: "I told you, I did this experiment when I was teaching at Princeton, but I didn't publish it."
Of course, the carbon nanospheres were quite different from the original version made by Professor Stanley.
Especially in the details, Lu Zhou used computational chemistry methods to adjust the positions of several large π bonds on the surface. This made its transport ability more obvious, and the requirement for oxygen purity was also slightly lower.
However, the methods of preparing these carbon nanospheres were all the same.
"This is incredible …
"The ability to transport oxygen molecules in polymer materials is amazing!"
Lu Zhou looked at Yang Xu and spoke with nostalgia.
"It is amazing, I'm still thinking about the mechanism of this magical transport process. I even came up with two sets of theories, but I can't find any evidence to prove which one is correct."
Yang Xu: "How … How did you do it?"
When Lu Zhou heard this question, he was a little embarrassed. He laughed and said, "That's a long story.
"It's a long story. Anyway, thanks to the help of an old friend, I solved the most critical problem of the synthesis of caged carbon molecules. Then, I made a small improvement on the basis of his research and modified a few large π bonds."
Of course, the most important thing was the Debris No.1.
If Lu Zhou wanted to introduce this kind of material, he would have to find a hollow carbon sphere that was highly compatible with oxygen molecules. That would be more than enough for him to do experiments.
Yang Xu asked, "Is there a problem with the patent?"
Lu Zhou immediately replied, "No problem, my old friend was very generous and sold it to me at a very low price."
This was something that happened a long time ago.
Not long after the lithium-sulfur battery came out, ExxonMobil's patents became worthless. Even Professor Stanley himself didn't know that his research could be used on lithium-air batteries. Therefore, Star Sky Technology didn't spend a lot of money to buy the patent.
Of course, Lu Zhou didn't buy the patent under Star Sky Technology's name.
Even though it didn't cost a lot of money, the process was a bit complicated.
Yang Xu didn't know the inside story, so he said, "Your old friend is a good person."
Lu Zhou also laughed heartily.
"Yeah, I think so too, he's a good person."
…
The technology of selective oxygen molecules passing through the membrane had been solved. Coupled with the carbon nanospheres, the entire lithium-air battery technology tree was basically unlocked.
After giving Chen Yushan a call, Lu Zhou left the Jinling Institute for Advanced Study.
Speaking of which, when he arrived, it was still early in the morning, but when he left, it was already night time.
Using the computer to do the simulation was easy; it was just a matter of putting the ready-made model on the computer and running through it. It took a lot of time to test the oxygen molecule transport of the carbon nanospheres. Especially the modified PDMS film coated lithium metal sheet, it took a long time.
Lu Zhou was sitting in Wang Peng's car. He hadn't slept for more than 30 hours. He yawned and was about to take a nap. However, he suddenly received a call from Director Li.
The moment the call connected, he didn't even have time to say "Hello" before he heard Director Li's anxious voice.
"I've read your report! Is what's written here true? Are you sure? The carbon-based — "Director Li suddenly realized that this wasn't something he could talk about over the phone. He clenched his teeth and said," Wait here, I'll come to your house to talk to you. "
Lu Zhou yawned. He didn't understand what he was talking about, so he asked with a confused tone.
"Wherever you are, come to my house."
"Beijing! I'm flying over! "
Lu Zhou: "…?"
Before he could react, the phone was hung up with a beep.
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