X‐Ray Absorption Studies of Local Structure of Dilute Ionic Species in Molten Salts
Molten salts are crucial materials with exceptional properties that make them suitable for applications such as heat transfer media, coolants, and liquid fuels in molten salt nuclear reactors and the concentrated solar power industry. Understanding their properties requires unraveling the intricate mysteries of their structure. To achieve this, advanced characterization tools are essential. Among various techniques, X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) stands out as a versatile method capable of studying the structure of molten salts under in situ conditions. This review highlights recent advancements in the application of XAFS for investigating the local structure of molten salts, discusses its limitations and potential improvements, and explores complementary approaches such as simulations, machine learning, and correlative experimental methods.
Authors
- Santanu Roy (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6991-8205)
- Sheng Dai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8046-3931)
- James F. Wishart (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0488-7636)
- Vyacheslav S. Bryantsev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6501-6594)
- Alejandro Ramos‐Ballesteros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4350-6824)
- Anatoly I. Frenkel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5451-1207)
- Ruchi Gakhar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2829-3533)
- Nicholas Marcella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2224-532X)
- Alexander S. Ivanov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8193-6673)
- Nirmalendu Patra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6632-5882)
- Simerjeet K. Gill
- Kaifeng Zheng
Institutions
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory (US)
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (US)
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
- Idaho National Laboratory (US)
- Stony Brook University (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Chemistry - Methods
- Published
- 2025-04-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/cmtd.202400097
- Citations
- 3
- Primary Topic
- Molten salt chemistry and electrochemical processes
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.16
Funders
- U.S. Department of Energy
- National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center
- Office of Science
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory
- Brookhaven National Laboratory