Heejoon Moon, Ryoichi Tatara, Toshihiko Mandai, Kazuhide Ueno, Kazuki Yoshida, Naoki Tachikawa, Tomohiro Yasuda, Kaoru Dokko, Masayoshi Watanabe

J. Phys. Chem. C, 2014, 118 (35), pp 20246–20256.    DOI: 10.1021/jp506772f

Li⁺ intercalation into graphite electrodes was investigated in electrolytes consisting of triglyme (G3) and Li[TFSA] (TFSA = bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide). Li⁺-intercalated graphite was successfully formed in an equimolar molten complex, [Li(G3)₁][TFSA].

Shiguo Zhang, Muhammed Shah Miran, Ai Ikoma, Koru Dokko and Masayoshi Watanabe

J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2014, 136, 1690–1693. DOI: 10.1021/ja411981c

Instead of traditional polymer precursors and complex procedures, easily prepared and widely obtainable nitrogen-containing protic ionic liquids and salts were explored as novel, small-molecule precursors to prepare carbon materials (CMs) via direct carbonization without other treatments. Depending on the precursor structure, the resultant CMs can be readily obtained with a relative yield of up to 95.3%, a high specific surface area of up to 1380 m2/g, or a high N content of up to 11.1 wt%, as well as a high degree of graphitization and high conductivity (even higher than that of graphite). One of the carbons, which possesses a high surface area and a high content of pyridinic N, exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium, as revealed by an onset potential, half-wave potential, and kinetic current density comparable to those of commercial 20 wt% Pt/C. These low-cost and versatile precursors are expected to be important building blocks for CMs.