Work

A MgMn2O4-Based Solid State Reference Electrode for High-Temperature Molten Salts

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The development of reliable reference electrodes is critical for advancing electrochemical studies in high-temperature molten salts. In this work, the MgMn2O4/Mg2MnO4 redox couple is utilized as a solid-state reference electrode in the ternary molten salt system MgCl2-NaCl-KCl. The electrochemical behavior of the MgMn2O4/Mg2MnO4 redox couple was evaluated via cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry, which revealed a reversible insertion and extraction of Mg in MgMn2O4. The MgMn2O4 electrode displayed a stable value for 100 h when tested by monitoring the open circuit potential. The electrochemical behavior of Sb2O3 was studied in MgCl2-NaCl-KCl to demonstrate the practical utility of the electrode. Cyclic voltammetry measurements, chronoamperometry, and powder X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the complete reduction of Sb2O3 to Sb. These findings show that the MgMn2O4/Mg2MnO4 system is a promising candidate for stable and reproducible reference electrode for applications in high-temperature molten salt systems.

Source: Journal of The Electrochemical Society

DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/adcaee

Authors: Yating Yuan, Juntian Fan, Phillip Halstenberg, Shannon Mark Mahurin, Sheng Dai

Language: English

Topic: Molten salt chemistry and electrochemical processes

Subfield: Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

Field: Chemical Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $1,950

Funder: U.S. Department of Energy