New battery idea gets lots of power out of unusual sulfur chemistry
When the battery starts discharging, the sulfur at the cathode starts losing electrons and forming sulfur tetrachloride (SCl4), using chloride it stole from the electrolyte. As the electrons flow into the anode, they combine with the sodium, which plates onto the aluminum, forming a layer of sodium metal. Obviously, this wouldn’t work with an aqueous electrolyte, given how powerfully sodium reacts with water. High capacity To form a working battery, the researchers separated the two electrodes...





