In the Argonne National Laboratory, Professor Theresa Achille, who rushed over from home in a hurry, looked at the experimental test data on the computer screen in front of her with a pale face.
Judging from the experimental data, the effect of doping mixed carbon sodium and nitrogen materials to stabilize the 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur' crystal completely fails to meet the standards for the production of lithium-sulfur batteries.
The unstable ‘monoclinic gamma phase sulfur’ will revert back to polysulfides during the charge and discharge process.
These higher-order polysulfide compounds will expand in the battery, causing changes in the morphology and structure of the positive electrode and the separation of sulfur from the conductive skeleton, thereby causing a sharp attenuation of capacity.
More importantly, the "redox shuttle effect" caused by dissolved polysulfides (PSs) between the sulfur positive electrode and the lithium negative electrode will further aggravate and shorten the cycle life of the battery in practical applications.
Even if they increase the proportion of mixed carbon-sodium-nitrogen materials in lithium-sulfur batteries to 10%, or even 20%, or 30%, it will not help.
The effect of doping mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen materials is close to the peak of stability when the doping ratio reaches about 5%.
And if you continue to improve further, although it can still increase some effects according to experimental values, the extent of improvement is extremely slow.
It seems that in lithium-sulfur batteries, there is a limit to the number and efficiency of reactions that they have not observed before.
"professor?
"professor?"
Standing in front of the computer, Professor Theresa Achille was stunned for a long time. It was not until her assistant called out several times that she came back to her senses.
"Professor, what should we do next?" Kelly Vicky asked with anxiety on her face.
Lithium-sulfur batteries are now at Grandpa National Laboratory. No, it can be said that it is a matter that the entire United States and even the world are paying attention to. Now that such an accident has occurred, she has no idea how to solve it.
Across the way, Theresa Achill fell silent after hearing the assistant's question.
what to do?
How does he know what to do!
Xie Te! Why did such an unexpected situation occur? Everything was fine when the experiment was conducted before? Obviously they followed the paper published by the Chuanhai Institute of Materials and carried out the operation step by step. They only replaced the stable carbon material.
Just graphite.
After calming down for a while, he came back to his senses and said: "Prepare the materials, I want to do another experiment myself!"
He was unwilling to accept that the experimental results were such data, and was ready to try again himself.
But soon, the test data re-projected on the computer screen gave him another heavy blow!
Even if he did it himself, he was careful in almost every step and perfectly replicated all the steps. The lithium-sulfur battery produced in the experiment did not achieve the effect of the mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen material doping to produce lithium-sulfur batteries.
standard.
"Impossible...This is impossible, I don't believe it!"
Looking at the data displayed by the scanning electron microscope, Professor Theresa Achil murmured to herself, her face pale.
Suddenly, he turned around and looked at the research assistant beside him, and shouted in a tone that was almost like grasping the last straw: "Graphite! Prepare another material for me. This time, prepare graphite for the carbon material!"
If materials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene, and fullerene didn't work, then he would completely reproduce it according to the paper published by the Sichuan Hai Materials Research Institute!
Including carbon stabilizing materials, they also use high-purity graphite materials like the other party!
As long as the stability problem of 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur' can be solved, lithium-sulfur batteries will still be his!
Even if it uses the same steps as the paper published by the Chuanhai Materials Research Institute, he no longer has any scruples at this moment!
This is the only life-saving straw he can see now. He believes that the US Patent Office will be on his side, and he also believes that companies such as ExxonMobil will choose to cooperate with him!
As long as he can solve the stability problem of 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur', everything will be saved!
However, sometimes, a straw cannot save a person who has fallen off the cliff.
When the stability test results of graphite-doped materials came out, Professor Theresa Achille's eyes were filled with disappointment.
Compared with carbon nanomaterials, the stabilizing effect of graphite-doped ‘monoclinic gamma sulfur’ is even lower.
"This is impossible......"
"Obviously all the experimental steps were done according to his paper, why? Why is this happening?"
Professor Theresa Achille was holding the experimental table with her hands, her face looking lost and decadent.
In fact, he probably understood in his heart what was going on, but he couldn't believe it, or he just didn't admit it in his heart.
In fact, when this kind of problem occurs in replica experiments, it is nothing more than that the public papers have hidden key steps, or that similar experimental steps are used, which are effective, but cannot achieve the most perfect state.
This method is often used in academic and scientific research circles.
Especially in the pharmaceutical field, it can be seen everywhere.
The difference between original drugs and generic drugs is sometimes not that big.
Just like the most famous little blue pill, the first batch of patents have actually expired long ago.
However, there are certain differences in the efficacy of drugs produced by genuine manufacturers and subsequent generic manufacturers.
Theoretically, they are all produced using the same production method, but why there is such a difference lies not only in production equipment, quality management, and raw materials.
There is also a great possibility that there are differences between many public things and the actual production steps and methods of genuine manufacturers.
The saying that the master has taught his apprentice to starve to death is not unique to China. No matter where they are, keeping a hand is the truest thought in the hearts of most people, let alone capitalists?
For Professor Theresa Achier, the experimental products reproduced according to the paper are far behind those of the Sichuan-Hai Materials Research Institute, and the only solution is that there is something wrong with the other party's published paper.
This wasn't really a trap, but with the huge benefits going to his head, he stepped into it without hesitation.
"Professor, professor..."
The voice in his ear brought Theresa Achill back to reality. He looked at his assistant and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Professor, the mixed carbon-sodium-nitrogen doped material is not completely useless. It is still effective. Can we continue to study it on this basis? I think it should not be very far from the standard, right?"
Assistant Kelly Vicky hesitated for a moment, but then said what she was thinking.
Hearing this, Theresa Achill had a bitter look on his face. He shook his head and said, "This is very difficult, or almost impossible to do."
Compared to the ignorant administrative assistant, as a researcher in the field of materials, he knew very well that this was an almost impossible thing to do.
Although on the surface, as his assistant said, there is only the last little distance between the two.
But in materials science, a little difference sometimes means an infinite difference.
Because materials science experiments often rely on very specific experimental conditions, including temperature, pressure, humidity, chemical purity, etc., even small changes can lead to significant differences in results.
Even with the same experimental design, differences in equipment and materials used in different laboratories may affect experimental results.
What's more, when some core experimental steps are hidden, it is more difficult for other researchers to accurately replicate these experiments.
Even if the mixed carbon-sodium-nitrogen-doped material is stable for 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur', it is still very difficult to advance it to a standard that can industrially produce lithium batteries.
This is somewhat similar to the production of nuclear weapons. All the steps are laid out, but so far the only countries that can produce them are those.
No, from the perspective of materials science research and development, it is difficult to continue to promote the stability of 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur' along this route and continue to solve the polysulfide diffusion problem and shuttle effect in lithium-sulfur batteries.
Probably bigger than building nuclear weapons.
After all, the difficulty in manufacturing nuclear weapons is not the principle, but the acquisition of raw materials and manufacturing equipment.
To promote the stability of mixed carbon, sodium and nitrogen doped materials for 'monoclinic gamma phase sulfur', they need to try countless changes and methods.
Temperature, pressure, humidity, chemical purity, doping methods, etc., any quantitative change is unknown.
At this moment, Theresa Achill suddenly remembered something, and the loss in her eyes suddenly turned into fear, despair, and some panic.
Because of his relationship, Professor Xu on the other side of the Pacific publicly announced at a press conference that he would file an international lawsuit against the U.S. Patent Office.
This is not the key point. The key point is that he declared that before the end of the international patent litigation, he and all the research institutes and laboratories under his name will suspend cooperation with all countries that reject patent applications.
These include patented artificial SEI films, high-temperature copper-carbon-silver superconducting materials, improved superconducting materials, high-quality graphene, plasma turbulence CNC models and other materials and tools.
This means that most of the lithium-ion batteries currently used in the United States are building large-scale controllable nuclear fusion reactors, and the high-quality graphene imported by major experimental institutions and research institutes from each other will be suspended.
Or a situation where raw materials are cut off.
And there are no substitutes for most of these things.
Including high-quality graphene materials, just like chips, China can also produce mid- to low-end chips, but almost all cutting-edge chips rely on imports.
The same goes for high-quality graphene. Although it can be produced in the United States or other countries, it is only a small part. The technology for producing large quantities of high-quality graphene is still vacant in the market.
This is just graphene, there are certain alternatives.
However, irreplaceable technologies and materials such as artificial SEI film patents and improved superconducting materials are the real big pitfalls.
If he can successfully develop lithium-sulfur battery technology, then someone will naturally help him deal with these pitfalls.
But if the lithium-sulfur battery cannot be displayed in his hands, then the losses caused by these big pits will probably be blamed on his head.
If these things come true, it may not be as simple as losing his job.
Prison sentences in San Quentin's prison are even the lightest consequences.
...
At the same time, on the other side.
Huaguo, Jinling.
In the Chuanhai Institute of Materials, the department leaders responsible for international patent applications also came from abroad.
"Sorry, Academician Xu and Mr. Fan, I have failed to live up to your expectations."
In Fan Pengyue's office, Ai Zhaoan, who is in charge of overseas patents at the institute, apologized to Xu Chuan and Fan Pengyue.
He has always been responsible for international patent applications. This time there was such a big mistake. Although it had little to do with him, it still had an impact on the research institute.
Of course, this time he came back mainly to work and communicate on the follow-up application for the lithium-sulfur battery patent. After being jointly rejected by multiple countries, he could not decide whether to continue to apply for the lithium-sulfur battery patent.
On the sofa, Xu Chuan smiled and said, "It's okay. You don't have to feel guilty. This matter has nothing to do with you."
On the side, Fan Pengyue also smiled and said: "What the Americans are doing is no different to anyone else. Your work in the past two years has been excellent, and you have taken care of the institute's patents."
Hearing this, Ai Zhaoan breathed a sigh of relief and then asked: "Academician Xu, Mr. Fan, according to statistics, our current patent authorization has been rejected by seventeen countries. How will the applications from these countries be processed next?"
“Should we submit for review or suspend the patent application first?”
Xu Chuan thought for a moment and said: "Let's suspend the review first and wait for this matter."
"In addition, there is no country that has completely passed the patent review and obtained the patent rights, right?"
Nodding slightly, Ai Zhaoan responded: "Well, no country has yet fully passed the patent review, including domestic patent authorization, which is also in the substantive review stage."
Lithium-sulfur batteries are a patent application that can affect the whole world, and it is not that easy to quickly go through the substantive examination stage when the popularity is fully hyped.
In particular, the Sichuan-Hai Materials Research Institute is currently involved in the theft of data from Argonne National Laboratory. Although the latter has not produced any substantive evidence, this will also affect the judgments of many national patent offices.
If you want to pass the review, you need to at least wait until this matter is over or over.
Of course, domestic patent applications will certainly not be affected by this matter. As for the reason why it has not been approved yet, it is simply that the application time is too short, and the substantive inspection and authorization registration stages also take a certain amount of time.
Xu Chuan smiled and said: "In this case, let's withdraw all the patents that have been applied for."
"Withdraw...withdraw?"
Hearing this, Ai Zhaoan, who was in charge of patent application, was stunned for a moment, looked at Xu Chuan with some confusion and asked.
Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Well, let's withdraw first."
"Judging from the current situation, the patents related to lithium-sulfur batteries are probably blocked by their owners. I'm afraid it won't be possible for a year or two. Especially in the United States, in order to support the Argonne National Laboratory and that Theresa
The professor’s research may remain stuck.”
"In this case, we will not apply directly and contact domestic manufacturers to produce it ourselves."
"Although this will be more troublesome than applying for a patent for authorization, it is better than being stuck for one or two years or even longer."
Hearing this, Ai Zhaoan frowned and asked: "But the technical report documents we submitted before...if we don't complete the patent application, these things will leak our technology."
Xu Chuan smiled and said: "Don't worry too much about this. The technology-related documents we submitted are not complete, detailed and standard R&D technology, and they are only part of the core technology in our R&D."
"These technology leaks may speed up other countries' research on lithium-sulfur batteries, but it is still very difficult to make lithium-sulfur batteries exactly like ours."
"So instead of being stuck with the owner's patent and being unable to use it for a year or two, it's better to seize the time to build a factory to produce and sell it yourself."