Electrophoretic NMR: an ion speedometer for concentrated electrolytes

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR techniques are powerful probes of self-diffusion but remain insensitive to the charged nature of the mobile species. For example, Li-ion battery electrolyte performance is strongly affected by the drift velocity of the working (Li+) cation under an applied potential, and not necessarily to its diffusivity. By synchronizing PFG pulse programs with a simultaneous electric field, electrophoretic NMR (eNMR) can selectively measure cation, anion, and solvent motion and provide a full accounting of ion transport in concentrated electrolytes. I will discuss the experimental and practical underpinnings of eNMR, as well as its complementarity to MD simulations to reveal the migration of specific solvation structures.

8:00AM California / 11:00 am Boston / 5:00 PM Paris / 9:30 PM Delhi