Satisfying metals' thirst vital for high-capacity batteries
(Phys.org) —When a multiply charged aluminum or magnesium cation encounters a single water molecule, the result can be explosive. The metal ion rips an electron from the water molecule, causing a molecular-level explosion, triggered by the Coulombic repulsion of the two positive charges on each fragment. But multiply charged metal ions exist in water in countless ways, such as the calcium ions in your chocolate milkshake. At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, scientists determined the paths that lead to either the hydrolysis of water or the creation of stable metal ion clusters peaceably surrounded by water. It comes down to the pH of the solution, the number of water molecules nearby and the energy needed to remove electrons from the metal, known as the ionization potential.