Developing Quadruple Bonds as a Motif for Energy Storage and Action Research as a Teaching Assistant

The enduring intrigue of quadruple bonds among chemists stretches from E. Peligot's initial synthesis of Cr2(OAc)4 in 1844 to F.A. Cotton's identification of Re≣Re quadruple bonding in 1964, to modern chemistries still being developed. These systems feature a diverse yet tunable coordination environment, which offers fascinating reactive properties and unique electrochemistry. Given the landmark electrochemical properties, complexes with quadruple bonds are promising candidates for energy storage applications. Energy storage is an increasingly important topic as renewable energy generation (primarily wind and solar) becomes ubiquitous. The electrification of our energy grid, transport systems, and personal lives requires substantially more research into energy storage and battery systems, as daily energy demands increase globally. My research focuses on the applications of quadruple bonds in energy storage, where we have found this diverse motif can be used in multiple battery systems. Primarily, quadruply bonded dimolybdenum complexes improve lithium metal anode (LMA) performance by developing an improved solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). We identified these complexes are stable at LMAs in lithium metal batteries (LMBs) and hypothesize that they act as a secondary barrier to prevent further electrolyte decomposition and improve lithium plating. Furthermore, we have tested dimolybdenum complexes for use in redox flow batteries. Toward this goal, we achieved orders of magnitude improvements in the solubility of dimolybdenum complexes through ligand design and found that certain ligands provide long-term stability through solution phase redox cycling experiments. Beyond the lab, I conducted chemical education research. In this work, I identified a computational chemistry laboratory, a Walsh diagram lab, with which students struggled and sought to improve lab curriculums through collaborative action research (CAR). I conducted two iterative CAR cycles and will discuss the data in this thesis.