Abstract: Electrolyte compositions for secondary batteries having a metal anode are provided. The compositions include an electrolyte salt of an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, zinc, or aluminum; at least one solvent which solubilizes the electrolyte salt; and up to 25 wt. % of a selected non-polar additive. The solvent is selected from cyclic sulfones, cyclic sultones, cyclic ethers, partially fluorinated sulfonamides, fluorinated solvents and glymes. The nonpolar additive is selected from aromatic hydrocarbons, partially fluorinated aromatic hydrocarbons, fluorinated monoethers, partly fluorinated polyethers, fluorinated phosphate esters and fluorinated linear sulfones. Multiple combinations of metal salts, solvents and nonpolar additives having a coulombic efficiency of with respect to plating and stripping of the metal of at least 90% are provided.

Abstract: Provided is a composition containing a redox charge-transfer complex of an electron donor polymer and an electron acceptor compound where the anionic form of the electron acceptor has a reduction potential higher than the reduction potential of the electron donor polymer; at least one metal salt and at least one additive compound having a dielectric constant of 10 or greater. The composition is a free-flowing, substantially amorphous powder and is useful as a metal ion conducting component of electrolytic cells.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for extracting lignin from lignocellulosic biomass using volatile trialkylamines. A lignocellulosic biomass is combined with an aqueous extraction solution including the trialkylamine and water to provide a biomass extraction mixture that can at least partially extract lignin from the lignocellulosic biomass. The method further includes removing the trialkylamine from the biomass extraction mixture. The method further relates to the utilization of the resulting materials. For example, the lignin extract can be used to make carbon fibers, carbon-carbon materials, or polyamines. The delignified biomass can be used as feed for animals, fungi and/or bacteria. Also, the cellulosic or carbohydrate components of the delignified biomass can be hydrolyzed into pentoses and/or hexoses, which can be used as a feed or starting material for the subsequent conversion into other products.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for electrochemical reductive carboxylation of an unsaturated organic substrate to form a dicarboxylic organic product. The unsaturated organic substrate is electrochemically reduced with a carbon dioxide reactant in an ionically conductive, water-immiscible reactant medium to form the dicarboxylic organic product. The dicarboxylic organic product is recovered in an aqueous product medium. Example dicarboxylic organic products include phthalic acid, naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, and 1,12-dodecanedioic acid.

Abstract: Provided is a composition containing a redox charge-transfer complex of an electron donor polymer and an electron acceptor compound where the anionic form of the electron acceptor has a reduction potential higher than the reduction potential of the electron donor polymer; at least one metal salt and at least one additive compound having a dielectric constant of 10 or greater. The composition is a free-flowing, substantially amorphous powder and is useful as a metal ion conducting component of electrolytic cells.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for electrochemical reductive carboxylation of an unsaturated organic substrate to form a dicarboxylic organic product. The unsaturated organic substrate is electrochemically reduced with a carbon dioxide reactant in an ionically conductive, water-immiscible reactant medium to form the dicarboxylic organic product. The dicarboxylic organic product is recovered in an aqueous product medium. Example dicarboxylic organic products include phthalic acid, naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, and 1,12-dodecanedioic acid.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of forming a dihydrochalcone using electrocatalytic dehydrogenation. In particular, the disclosure relates to methods of forming a dihydrochalcone electrocatalytically hydrogenating (ECH) a reactant compound over a catalytic cathode in a reaction medium having a non-alkaline pH value, thereby forming a dihydrochalcone product; wherein the reactant compound has a structure according to Formula (I). The method can be used to prepare dihydrochalcone sweeteners, such as, for example, naringin dihydrochalcone and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte, with a coulombic efficiency with respect to lithium of at least 80%, that includes a Group 1 salt dissolved in a mixture containing two sulfone compounds, a mixture containing a sulfone compound and a sultone compound, and/or a mixture containing a sulfone compound and a sulfonamide compound. The Group 1 salt can be a lithium salt, the sulfone compound can be a cyclic sulfone such as thietane-1,1-dioxide and sulfolane, the sultone compound can be a cyclic sultone such as 1,3-propane sultone, and the sulfonamide compound can be a partially fluorinated sulfonamide such as 1,1,1-trifluoro-N,N-dimethylmethanesulfonamide and N-butyl-1,1,1-trifluoro-N-methylmethanesulfonamide. Additives such as another lithium salt, a polyunsaturated compound, a cyclic anhydride, a cyclic unsaturated sultone, and/or a cyclic phosphate can be included in the non-aqueous electrolyte.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods of forming a dihydrochalcone using electrocatalytic dehydrogenation. In particular, the disclosure relates to methods of forming a dihydrochalcone electrocatalytically hydrogenating (ECH) a reactant compound over a catalytic cathode in a reaction medium having a non-alkaline pH value, thereby forming a dihydrochalcone product; wherein the reactant compound has a structure according to Formula (I). The method can be used to prepare dihydrochalcone sweeteners, such as, for example, naringin dihydrochalcone and neohesperidin dihydrochalcone.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for extracting lignin from lignocellulosic biomass using volatile trialkylamines. A lignocellulosic biomass is combined with an aqueous extraction solution including the trialkylamine and water to provide a biomass extraction mixture that can at least partially extract lignin from the lignocellulosic biomass. The method further includes removing the trialkylamine from the biomass extraction mixture. The method further relates to the utilization of the resulting materials. For example, the lignin extract can be used to make carbon fibers, carbon-carbon materials, or polyamines. The delignified biomass can be used as feed for animals, fungi and/or bacteria. Also, the cellulosic or carbohydrate components of the delignified biomass can be hydrolyzed into pentoses and/or hexoses, which can be used as a feed or starting material for the subsequent conversion into other products.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to a method for hydrolyzing cellulosic material using a sulfonated polyaromatic catalyst. A cellulosic material is combined with the sulfonated polyaromatic catalyst in water to at least partially hydrolyze the cellulosic material and to form a monosaccharide hydrolysis product, thereby forming a reaction mixture including (i) an aqueous phase with the monosaccharide hydrolysis product in solution therein, and (ii) a dispersed phase including the sulfonated polyaromatic catalyst as well as any non-hydrolyzed cellulosic material. The sulfonated polyaromatic catalyst includes a mixture of partially sulfonated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that is substantially insoluble in the aqueous phase, thus providing it with an affinity for the water-insoluble cellulosic substrate where it preferentially exhibits its catalytic hydrolytic activity. The monosaccharide hydrolysis product can be recovered from the aqueous phase of the reaction mixture.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to methods for electrochemical reductive carboxylation of an unsaturated organic substrate to form a dicarboxylic organic product. The unsaturated organic substrate is electrochemically reduced with a carbon dioxide reactant in an ionically conductive, water-immiscible reactant medium to form the dicarboxylic organic product. The dicarboxylic organic product is recovered in an aqueous product medium. Example dicarboxylic organic products include phthalic acid, naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, thiophene-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, pyrrole-2,5-dicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, suberic acid, sebacic acid, and 1,12-dodecanedioic acid.

Abstract: A process for producing compound 1,4,7,10,13,16,21,24-octaazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosa, 4,6,13,15,21,23-hexaene (2) and then compound 1,4,7,10,13,16,21,24-octaazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane (1) from compound (2) is described. The process uses a reaction between triaminoethylamine and glyoxal in the presence of water, alcohol and tertiary amine at low temperature to produce compound 2. Then compound 1 is produced from compound 2 by reduction with an alkali metal containing ammonia as the reductant. The compounds are aza cryptands which are used to bind metals and the like for electrides, and in alkalides, medicine and water treatment, for instance.

Abstract: A process for producing compound 1,4,7,10,13,16,21,24-octaazabicyclo[8.8.8] hexacosa,4,6,13,15,21,23-hexaene (2) and then compound 1,4,7,10,13,16,21,24-octaazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosane (1) from compound (2) is described. The process uses a reaction between triaminoethylamine and glyoxal in the presence of water, alcohol and tertiary amine at low temperature to produce compound 2. Then compound 1 is produced from compound 2 by reduction with an alkali metal containing ammonia as the reductant. The compounds are aza cryptands which are used to bind metals and the like for electrides, and in alkalides, medicine and water treatment, for instance.