Ionic liquids for solvating lithium polysulfides

1. A method of controlling the solvation of polysulfide anions in a mixture by incorporating a plurality of a functionalized single ionic liquid molecule described by the formula C + A − , wherein

a. A − is an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, nitrates, phosphates, imides, borates, phosphazines, acetates, and sulfonates; and

b. C + is an organic cation selected from the group consisting of ammoniums, sulfoniums, phosphoniums, and any 5 or 6 membered heterocyclic ring having 1 to 3 heteroatoms as ring members selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur,

wherein one or more of the atoms in the heterocyclic ring of the cation are substituted with one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halides, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, carbonyls, alkoxyalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls, nitriles, silanes, sulfones, thiols, phenols, hydroxyls, amines, imides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, and acid anhydrides; and

wherein any of the carbon or hydrogen atoms in the above moieties are further substituted with halides, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, carbonyls, alkoxyalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls, nitriles, silanes, sulfones, thiols, phenols, hydroxyls, amines, imides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, and acid anhydrides.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the moieties on the heterocyclic ring of the cation is an alkylsilane.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises covalently bonding the at least one moiety onto a metal or metal oxide particle.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the metal oxide particle is a micro- or nano-particle.

5. The method of claim 1 which comprises solvating the functionalized ionic liquid up to between about 1 molar to about 10 molar concentrations of polysulfide anions.

6. The method of claim 1 which comprises changing the donor number or acceptor number of an electrolyte formulation by adding one or more functionalized ionic liquids.

7. The method of claim 1 which comprises changing the donor number of acceptor number of an electrolyte formulation by adding an organic hybrid material.

8. An electrolyte formulation for secondary batteries, comprising:

a functionalized single ionic liquid molecule described by the formula C + A − , wherein

A − is an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, nitrates, phosphates, imides, borates, phosphazines, acetates, and sulfonates; and

C + is an organic cation selected from the group consisting of ammoniums, sulfoniums, phosphoniums, and any 5 or 6 membered heterocyclic ring having 1 to 3 heteroatoms as ring members selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur,

wherein one or more of the atoms in the heterocyclic ring of the cation are substituted with one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halides, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, carbonyls, alkoxyalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls, nitriles, silanes, sulfones, thiols, phenols, hydroxyls, amines, imides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, and acid anhydrides; and

wherein any of the carbon or hydrogen atoms in the above moieties are further substituted with halides, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, carbonyls, alkoxyalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls, nitriles, silanes, sulfones, thiols, phenols, hydroxyls, amines, imides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, and acid anhydrides;

one or more alkali metal salts;

one or more organic co-solvents; and

a metal polysulfide.

9. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , wherein the cation of the one or more alkali metal salts is one or more of lithium, sodium, and magnesium.

10. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , wherein the total molar concentration of the one or more alkali metal salts in the electrolyte formulation is between about 0.1 and about 2.

11. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , wherein the organic co-solvent is one or more species selected from the group consisting of open-chain or cyclic carbonates, carboxylic acid esters, nitrites, ethers, sulfones, sulfoxides, lactones, dioxolanes, glymes, crown ethers, and any mixture thereof.

12. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , wherein the organic co-solvent is between about 5 wt % to about 85 wt % of the total electrolyte mass.

13. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , wherein the functionalized ionic liquid is between about 0.1 wt % to about 85 wt % of the total electrolyte mass.

14. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , further comprising an organic-hybrid material covalently bonded to the ionic liquid in an amount between about 0.1 wt % to about 10 wt % of the total electrolyte mass.

15. The electrolyte formulation of claim 8 , wherein the metal polysulfide is formed ex situ at a molar concentration between about 0.1 and 10.

16. An electrochemical cell comprising

a positive electrode comprising an electroactive sulfur-containing material;

a negative electrode; and

an electrolyte comprising a functionalized single ionic liquid molecule described by the formula C + A − , wherein A − is an anion selected from the group consisting of halides, nitrates, phosphates, imides, borates, phosphazines, acetates, and sulfonates; and C + is an organic cation selected from the group consisting of ammoniums, sulfoniums, phosphoniums, and any 5 or 6 membered heterocyclic ring having 1 to 3 heteroatoms as ring members selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur, wherein one or more of the atoms in the heterocyclic ring of the cation are substituted with one or more moieties selected from the group consisting of halides, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, carbonyls, alkoxyalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls, nitriles, silanes, sulfones, thiols, phenols, hydroxyls, amines, imides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, and acid anhydrides; and wherein any of the carbon or hydrogen atoms in the above moieties are further substituted with halides, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, carbonyls, alkoxyalkanes, alkenes, alkynes, aryls, nitriles, silanes, sulfones, thiols, phenols, hydroxyls, amines, imides, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, carbonates, and acid anhydrides; one or more alkali metal salts; one or more metal polysulfides; and one or more organic co-solvents.