High Lithium Content Research Articles

Lithium/titanium ratio: A key factor on crystal structure and mechanical properties of lithium titanate pebbles for tritium breeder

Lithium titanate pebbles are proposed as one of promising candidates of tritium breeder for the outstanding comprehensive performance, but the low lithium density and lithium vaporization still need to be overcome. In this paper, phase transitions and lithium loss under different Li/Ti ratio are studied in particular. The relationship between Li/Ti ratio and mechanical performance is carefully discussed. Finally, excessiveness of lithium source in raw materials is optimized about 5%, in order to compensate lithium loss in sintering process and further improve the phase purity. A suitable Li/Ti ratio about 2.1 could balance the requirements of high lithium content and excellent mechanical strength.

Solid Electrolyte Interphase Layer Formation during Lithiation of Single-Crystal Silicon Electrodes with a Protective Aluminum Oxide Coating.

The lithiation of crystalline silicon was studied over several cycles using operando neutron reflectometry over six cycles. A thin layer of aluminum oxide was employed as an artificial coating on the silicon to suppress the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer-related aging effects. Initially, the artificial SEI prevented side effects but led to increased lithium trapping. This layer degraded after two cycles, followed by side reactions, which decrease the coulombic efficiency. No hint for electrode fracturization was found even though the lithiation depth exceeded 1 μm. Two distinct zones with high and low lithium concentrations were found, initially separated by a sharp interface, which broadens with cycling. The correlation of the reflectometry results with the electrochemical current showed the lithium fraction that is lithiated in the silicon and the lithium consumed in side reactions. Also, neutron reflectometry was used to quantify the amount of lithium that remained inside of the silicon. Additional electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to gain insights into the electrical properties of the sample via fitting to an equivalent circuit.

Effect of porosity on thermal conductivity of Li2TiO3 ceramic compact

The thermal conductivity of the porous ceramic materials strongly depends on its temperature and porosity. Li2TiO3 ceramic is considered as a tritium breeder material for the Indian fusion blanket concept. Inside the blanket, higher lithium content is vital in terms of lithium burn up, whereas porosity is essential for the diffusion of tritium from its grains to the surface. As the helium gas will continuously pass through the ceramic breeder's pores, all heat transfer modes, i.e. conduction, convection and radiation will appear within the breeder canister. For evaluation of the heat transfer behaviour inside the fusion blanket, it is substantial to determine the porosity dependent thermal conductivity of Li2TiO3 along with a good relationship. In this work, Li2TiO3 compacts of different porosity, i.e. 4–6 %, 11 %, 24 %, 26 % and 39 % are prepared by uni-axial hydraulic pressing. Compacts are sintered at 1073 K, 1173 K, 1273 K and 1423 K for desired porosity. Thermal diffusivity of Li2TiO3 compacts are measured by laser flash apparatus from room temperature to 973 K. Thermal conductivity of porous Li2TiO3 compacts is calculated by multiplication with respective density and specific heat to the measured thermal diffusivity. In this study, the mercury intrusion technique and Scanning Electron Microscopy technique was used for the density, porosity and surface morphology, respectively. The effect of the temperature and porosity on the thermal conductivity of Li2TiO3 are presented here. As the thermal conductivity changes with porosity by virtue of temperature, the correlations are presented by fitting various models such as Maxwell model, modified Maxwell-Eucken model, Loeb model, modified Loeb model, and EMT model. Among these models, the best-fitted model was evaluated. The geometrical factor (β, α) and thermal conductivity at 0 % porosity (k0) for the modified Maxwell-Eucken model and modified Loeb model were calculated. The porosity and temperature-dependent thermal conductivities of Li2TiO3 were calculated with newly obtained coefficients and discussed in this paper.

Quartz Vein Geochemistry Records Deformation Processes in Convergent Zones

AbstractIn several examples of subduction zones, we compared pairs of quartz veins formed either at the lower temperatures of the seismogenic zone (260°C or below), or at the higher temperatures of its downdip limit (∼330°C). All the veins analyzed here are mode I cracks that formed contemporaneously with the host‐rock main stage of deformation at peak burial conditions. Lower‐temperature veins show examples of quartz crystals with euhedral shapes and growth rims, while higher‐temperature veins contain crack‐seal microstructures. In the lower‐temperature realm, quartz growth rims have alternatingly either: (1) high cathodoluminescence (CL), CL‐blue color and high concentration in trace elements and fluid inclusions, or (2) low luminescence, CL‐brown color and low concentration in trace elements and fluid inclusions. In contrast, the quartz from higher‐temperature samples is homogeneously low luminescent and CL‐brown, except for very restricted domains of the crack‐seal microstructures where patches of CL‐blue quartz are present. The highly luminescent quartz contains high concentrations of aluminum and lithium, up to 3,000 and 400 ppm, respectively. Variations in Al and Li correlate well, so that Li appears as the main charge‐compensating cation for Al. We propose that the incorporation of Al and Li reflects the amplitude of the fluid pressure variations, which control crystal growth rates. Quartz geochemistry might therefore unravel the contrast between the seismogenic zone, where large fluid pressure variations are present, and its downdip limit, where fluid pressure variations are much more limited in amplitude.

Lithium placental passage at delivery and neonatal outcomes: A retrospective observational study

Introduction Lithium is an effective mood stabilizer and is widely used as a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder in the perinatal period. Several guidelines have provided clinical advice on dosing strategy (dose reduction versus stop lithium) in the peripartum period to minimize the risk of neonatal complications. An association has been observed between high neonatal lithium concentrations (> 0.64 mEq/L) and lower 1-min Apgar scores, longer hospital stays, and central nervous system and neuromuscular complications.ObjectivesTo quantify the rate of lithium placental passage at delivery. To assess any association between plasma concentration of lithium at delivery and neonatal outcome.Methods In this retrospective observational cohort study, we included women treated with llithium at least in late pregnancy. Maternal (MB) and umbilical cord (UC) lithium blood level measurement were collected at delivery. Lithium serum concentrations were determined by means of an AVL 9180 electrolyte analyzer. The limit of quantification (LoQ) was 0.20 mEq/L and detection limit was 0.10 mEq/L. From the medical records, we extracted information on neonatal outcomes (preterm birth, birth weight, Apgar scores, pH-values, and admision to NICU) and complications categoriced by organ system: respiratory, circulatory, hematological, gastro-intestinal, metabolic, neurological, and immune system (infections).ResultsUmbilical cord and maternal lithium blood levels were strongly correlated: mean (SD) range UC/MR ratio 1.15 (0.24). Umbilical cord lithium levels ranged between 0.20 to 1.42 mEq/L. We observed no associations between umbilical cord lithium blood levels at delivery and neonatal outcomes.ConclusionsIn our study, newborns tolerated well a wide range of lithemias, between 0.20 and 1.42 mEq/L.

Signal Origin of Electrochemical Strain Microscopy and Link to Local Chemical Distribution in Solid State Electrolytes.

Electrochemical strain microscopy (ESM) is a distinguished method to characterize Li-ion mobility in energy materials with extremely high spatial resolution. The exact origin of the cantilever deflection when the technique is applied on solid state electrolytes (SSEs) is currently discussed in the literature. Understanding local properties and influences on ion mobility in SSEs is of utmost importance to improve such materials for next generation batteries. Here, the exact signal formation process of ESM when applied on sodium super ionic conductor (NASICON)-type SSE containing Na- and Li-ions is investigated. Changes in the dielectric properties, which are linked to the local chemical composition, are found to be responsible for the observed contrast in the deflection of the cantilever instead of a physical volume change as a result of Vegard´s Law. The cantilever response is strongly reduced in areas of high sodium content which is attributed to a reduction of the tip-sample capacitance in comparison to areas with high lithium content. This is the first time a direct link between electrostatic forces in contact mode and local chemical information is demonstrated on SSEs. The results open up new possibilities in information gain since dielectric properties are sensitive to subtle changes in local chemical composition.

Fe–Li complex emission in ZnO

In this work, we report on three new extremely sharp emission lines in zinc oxide (ZnO) related to iron–lithium complexes. The identification is based on a comparison of hydrothermally grown ZnO with high lithium concentration and a lithium-free sample grown by methane based chemical vapor deposition, which both were implanted with iron. After annealing in a mixed oxygen/argon atmosphere at 800°C, the lithium-free sample showed no additional lines besides the well-known emission at 693nm (1.78734eV), whereas the hydrothermally grown sample emitted three intense and sharp lines in photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. These emission lines at 705nm (1.75873eV), 712nm (1.74153eV), and 732nm (1.69283eV) were characterized by temperature dependent high resolution continuous wave (cw) and time-resolved PL spectroscopy, as well as by photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, and are assigned to different Fe–Li complexes. We find a single thermally activated excited state for each of the complex emission lines, different from the 4T1→6A1 transition of Fe3+ with its at least three excited states. While time-resolved photoluminescence measurements of the Fe3+ transition show a lifetime of 24.9±0.5ms, we find a reduced lifetime of 8.5±1ms for the new zero phonon lines, pointing to stronger mixture of the Fe 3d states with surrounding p-orbitals.

Lithium Recovery from Brines with Novel λ-MnO2 Adsorbent Synthesized by Hydrometallurgical Method

ABSTRACT Salt-lake brines containing high lithium (Li) contents are highly saline solutions with total dissolved solids on the order 300 g/L with Li+ concentrations around 1 g/L only. A drastic increase in the molar ratio of Li+ to other cations is the most important issue for practical Li recovery. We developed a novel λ-MnO2 adsorbent in order to selectively recover lithium from such brine. In this study, we investigated the adsorption characteristics such as adsorption capacity and selectivity of Li+ by batch adsorption and chromatographic separation using seawater and brine. The λ-MnO2 adsorbent synthesized by a hydrometallurgical method had higher adsorption capacity for Li+ than the adsorbent prepared by a pyrometallurgical process. The λ-MnO2 adsorbent shows an effective separation and recovery ability for Li+ from the large amounts of alkali and alkali earth metals such as Na+, K+, Mg2+, and Ca2+. The selective recovery of Li+ from the artificial seawater was performed by using chromatographic separation to achieve 200 times concentration of Li+.

A New Lithium‐Rich Zeolitic 10‐MR Zincolithosilicate MZS‐1 Hydrothermally Synthesized under High Pressure and Characterized by 3D Electron Diffraction

AbstractWe report the structure of a new high lithium content zincolithosilicate (MZS‐1) obtained after hydrothermal treatment under high pressure from a glass precursor. After synthesis microcrystalline mixture of phases was obtained among which the main phase was unknown. Due to the sub micrometric size of the crystallites its structure was determined from precession‐assisted 3D electron diffraction measured at 100 K and refined using the dynamical theory of diffraction. More accurate lattice parameters are obtained from Rietveld refinement of synchrotron powder data collected at the ambient temperature. The characteristic framework is described at the ambient temperature using an average unit cell a0=8.57999(5) Å, b0=14.12332(8) Å, c0=4.96827(3) Å in the space group Ccc2. The structure of the new zeolitic 10‐membered ring zincosilicate with chemical formula per unit cell (SiO2)2Zn0.408LiO(OH)2(Li,H)2.184 (Z=4) is composed of undulated silicate layers made of fused 6‐membered rings connected via vertices of (Zn,Li)O4 tetrahedra. A weak superstructure doubling the a0 parameter is observed and is explained by a Zn/Li ordering within the (Zn,Li)O4 layers.

The Relationship between Lithium Concentration in Drinking Water and Suicide Mortality: A Systematic Review

Title: The relationship between lithium concentration in drinking water and suicide mortality rate: A systematic review. Background: Suicide is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and is influenced by multiple factors. Recently, several studies have shown that lithium in drinking water is useful for reducing the suicide mortality rate. However, it is still uncertain whether lithium intake from drinking water can achieve an anti-suicidal effect. We performed a systematic review to determine the relationship between lithium in drinking water and suicide mortality rate. Methods and Findings: We reviewed articles related to the lithium concentration in drinking water and suicide mortality rate in various geographical areas between 1990 and 2020. Of 17 articles in our systematic review, 13 reported that lithium in drinking water was significantly negatively associated with standardized mortality ratio (SMR), while 4 studies did not show any associations. On the other hand, others with meta-analysis indicated that there was a negative association between lithium concentration in drinking water and suicide mortality rate. Conclusion: Most of the studies in this review revealed that lithium concentration in drinking water was inversely related to the expected suicide mortality rate in these studies. We reviewed these articles and maintain that the balance of lithium concentration in drinking water and SMR is important in determining whether lithium in drinking water affects suicide mortality rate. If the lithium concentration is stable over the entire study region, or suicide mortality rate is very low, an association between the lithium concentration in drinking water and suicide mortality rate could not be detected even with high lithium concentrations. Therefore, it may be difficult to evaluate the effect of lithium in drinking water on suicide. Further studies are needed to determine the factors related to suicide and lithium intake from sources other than drinking water to assess the relationship between tap water lithium concentration and suicide mortality rate.

Electrochemical Dilatometry of Si-Bearing Electrodes: Dimensional Changes and Experiment Design

The severe volumetric changes in Si particles during the Li (de)alloying process cause expansion and contraction of the electrodes, which along with excessive electrolyte reduction and solid electrolyte interphase formation brings about rapid decay in cell capacity. In this work, we use operando electrochemical dilatometry to quantify the (de)lithiation-induced expansion/contraction of Si-based and graphite-rich electrodes during electrochemical cycling. We evaluate the relationship between electrode capacity and dilation and observe that by increasing the Si contribution to the electrode capacity, the swelling is aggravated upon lithiation. For silicon-rich anodes, the electrode dilation can be higher than 300%, and the expansion profile consists of a combination of slow swelling at low lithiation followed by an accelerated increase at higher lithium contents. We investigate how electrode properties, such as porosity, affect the dilation profile and quantify the irreversible expansion of the electrodes. Finally, we discuss some of the challenges associated with the dilatometry technique and suggest experimental approaches for obtaining consistent and reliable data.

New Solid-State Electrolytes Based on Organic Ionic Plastic Crystals

The development of new solid-state electrolytes for energy storage devices is important for increasing their stability, reliability and safety. Organic ionic plastic crystals (OIPCs) are a relatively new class of material that show increasing promise as solid state electrolytes for devices such as lithium or sodium batteries.[1] OIPCs are crystalline phases found in many of the same organic salt families as ionic liquids but these materials have elevated melting points and exhibit various forms of disorder, which is the origin of their plastic mechanical properties. One of the keys to the development of OIPCs as solid state electrolytes is expanding the range of cations and anions available, and understanding the structure and dynamics of the resultant material.For application in a device, OIPCs are combined with salts of the target ion (e.g. Li+ or Na+), after which detailed analysis of the electrochemical and device parameters is performed. OIPC-based electrolytes can also be combined with polymer nanofibers to further improve their mechanical and transport properties.This presentation will provide an overview of the new OIPC families that we have recently designed and synthesized, and progress of these materials towards their use in practical solid-state lithium and sodium based batteries. We have also investigated the use of nanoscale polymer composites and the combination of OIPCs with very high concentrations of lithium or sodium salts,2 and the recent work on developing these composite materials will be discussed.

A New Class of Superionic Solid-State Lithium-Ion Conductors: Lithium-Phosphido Silicates, Germanates, and Aluminates

Superionic conductors as a solid-state electrolyte materials are essential for use for all-solid-state lithium ion batteries. Whereas intensive research on oxide and sulfide based lithium ion conductors resulted in optimized materials which reach ionic conductivities up to 25 mScm-1 other compound classes are disregarded. A design principle for fabricating new superionic conductors follows the ideas of increasing the carrier densities, changing the diffusion pathways of the mobile species, creating vacancies or increasing structural defects, and including anions that are more polarizable. For example to increase the carrier density, an effective way is especially the aliovalent substitution of cations: for example, in Li3PS4 making a formal substitution from “P5+” to “Ge4+” arises in Li3.25Ge0.25P0.75S4 with a four times higher ionic conductivity.We propose here phosphide-based materials as ionic conductors that result in principle from the aliovalent substitution of [TtS4]4- tetrahedra, which are an important key building block in sulfide-based electrolytes, by [TtP4]8- leading to the analogous complex anions based on phosphorus (Tt = tetrel element = Group-14 element). The resulting higher charge of the [TtP4]8- tetrahedra allows for twice the number of lithium ions per formula unit for charge compensation if compared to [TtS4]4- and in addition, the more negatively charged P3- is more polarizable than S2-. In this context we discovered for example Li8SiP4,[1] β-Li8GeP4,[2] and Li14SiP6 [3] with conductivities up to 1.1 mScm-1 . In addition we recently succeded to synthesize the lithium richest representative, obtained by formal aliovalent substitution of “Tt 4+” by “Al3+” and formation of in Li9AlP4.[4] The insertion of Al3+ leads to formally nine-fold negatively charged [AlP4]9- tetrahedra, resulting in an even higher lithium density per formula unit and a change in spatial extent of the diffusion pathways. This first representative of a novel compound class of lithium phosphidoaluminates has as an undoped material a remarkable fast ionic conductivity of ~ 3 mS cm-1 and a low activation energy of ~ 29 kJ mol−1 as determined by impedance spectroscopy. Temperature-dependent 7Li NMR spectroscopy supports the fast lithium motion. In addition, Li9AlP4 combines a very high lithium content with a very low theoretical density of 1.703 g·cm-3.In this paper we give an overview on the recent development in this material class. All crystalline materials are readily obtained as single phase materials by ball mill synthesis from the elements followed by moderate thermal treatment of the mixtures. In all cases the atomic structures are characterized by X-ray diffraction methods. The lithium-ion mobility was investigated by temperature-dependent nuclear magnetic resonance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealing low activation energies for lithium hopping. In some cases lithium diffusion pathways via both, tetrahedral and octahedral voids are analyzed by temperature-dependent powder neutron diffraction measurements in combination with maximum entropy method (MEM) and DFT calculations. The role of lithium ion occupation in the various tetrahedral and octahedral sites that occur in those compounds is highlighted.

(Invited) Resolution of the 1st Capacity Loss of Layered Oxide Cathodes

Layered transition-metal oxides are the dominant cathodes in present commercial Li-ion batteries, and are also the leading choice for electric vehicles, because much higher capacity can be obtained with high Ni content, which has the potential to achieve the cell-level energy density above 300 Wh/kg for NMC 811. However, the large 1st capacity loss (~ 15% of the charging capacity) limits the achievable capacity for this attractive cathode materials. If this capacity loss can be eliminated, the energy density could 400 Wh/kg. Our initial studies have found that ~ 80% of the 1st capacity loss of NMC 811 can be attributed to slow lithium diffusion at high lithium concentrations; this may be due to the divacancy diffusion mechanism for Li ions in the layers of the structure. The dramatic drop of the Li divacancy concentration can cause the sharp decrease on Li ion diffusion. However, the layered oxide cathode, LiCoO2, has a much smaller 1st capacity loss, 5 mAh/g vs. 27 mAh/g for 811 for the same Li extraction of 120 mAh/g; there appears to be little kinetics limitation (Figure 1). A systematic study is underway to understand the reasons for this difference. The results of this study will be described, and strategies to mitigate the 1st capacity loss in NMC will be discussed. This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Vehicle Technologies of the U.S. Department of Energy, through the Advanced Battery Materials Research Program (Battery500 Consortium). Figure 1

Significant roles of minor Mg addition in microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of cast Al–3Li–2Cu-0.15Zr alloy

The impact of minor Mg addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of cast Al–Li–Cu–Zr alloy with high lithium content (3 wt % Li) were studied to understand a qualitative assessment of sequence and kinetics of multiple precipitations and its effect on mechanical properties. Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray diffraction results suggested that raising the content of Mg gradually altered the grain structure of the as-cast alloys and increased the types and volume fraction of the grain boundary intermetallic phase. Unusually, solvus temperature is higher than solidus temperature in 0.5 Mg alloy (Al–3Li–2Cu-0.5Mg-0.15Zr, wt. %), resulting in the incipient melting of the matrix before the complete dissolution of the intermetallic phases. Prominent enhancements in both age-hardening and precipitation kinetics of the base alloy with the addition of Mg were also easily identified, indicating the important role of Mg during isothermal aging. Transmission Electron Microscope and atom probe tomography results showed that minor Mg addition (0.2 wt %, denoted by 0.2 Mg alloy) could encourage the diffusion of Cu atoms by the aggregation of Mg–Cu-vacancy co-clusters, thereby promoting the nucleation of the T1-Al2CuLi and θ′-Al2Cu precipitates. In addition, S′-Al2CuMg precipitate was therefore introduced as a result of Mg addition. With further increasing the content of Mg to 0.5 wt %, the nucleation and growth of S′ precipitate would be promoted at the expense of T1 and θ′ precipitates, especially the latter. Based on the theoretical models and regression analysis, the formation mechanism of δ′-Al3Li precipitate-free-zones gradually changed from the initial vacancy-depletion mechanism to the solute-depletion mechanism, and Mg element could significantly inhibit the coarsening of δ′ precipitate-free-zones. The best balance between ductility and strength was obtained by 0.2 Mg alloy aged for 32 h, and the alloys have significant advantages in terms of density (2.437 g/cm3) and elastic modulus (82.65 GPa) over conventional cast aluminum alloys (density: 2.7–2.8 g/cm3; elastic modulus: 72 GPa).

Effect of lithium content on the mechanical and corrosion behaviors of HCP binary Mg–Li alloys

The microstructure, crystallographic texture, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of as-extruded HCP Mg-xLi (x = 1, 3, 5; in wt%) alloys were investigated. The results indicated that the HCP Mg-5Li alloy with high lithium content exhibited a low degree of dynamic recrystallization (DRX) compared with Mg-1Li and Mg-3Li alloys. Besides, the 45° base (0001) texture of Mg-1Li alloy could turn into (11–20) and (10–10) prismatic texture of Mg-3Li and Mg-5Li alloys with c-axis approximately parallel to transverse direction (TD). As a result, the strong prismatic texture resulted in the mechanical anisotropy of as-extruded Mg-3Li and Mg-5Li alloys with higher mechanical strength and low elongation along extrusion direction (ED) (reverse for TD sample). Regarding of corrosion behaviors, filiform corrosion occurred in the three Mg–Li alloys, whilst the high lithium content could mitigate the groove-like corrosion and improve the corrosion resistance of Mg-5Li alloy, which was ascribed to the refined grains, prismatic texture and surface film.

Rising arsenic concentrations from dewatering a geothermally influenced aquifer in central Mexico

This study identifies causes of rising arsenic (As) concentrations over 17 years in an inter-montane aquifer system located just north of the Trans-Mexican-Volcanic-Belt in the Mesa central physiographic region that is extensively developed by long-screened production wells. Arsenic concentrations increased by more than 10 µg/L in 14% (3/22) of re-sampled wells. Similarly, in a larger scale analysis wherein As concentrations measured in 137 wells in 2016 were compared to interpolated, baseline concentrations from 246 wells in 1999, As concentrations rose more than 10 µg/L in 30% of wells. Between 1999 and 2016, the percentage of all wells sampled in each basin-wide sampling campaign exceeding the World Health Organization's 10 µg/L drinking water limit increased from 38 to 64%. Principal Components Analysis (PCA), step-wise multiple regression, and Random Forest modeling (RF) revealed that high As concentrations are closely associated with high pH and temperature, and high concentrations of fluoride (F), molybdenum (Mo), lithium (Li), sodium (Na) and silica (Si), but low calcium (Ca) and nitrate (NO3) concentrations. Pumping-induced mixing with hot, geothermally impacted groundwater generates alkaline water through hydrolysis of silicate minerals. The rising pH converts oxyanion sorption sites from positive to negative releasing As (and Mo) to pore waters. The negative correlation between nitrate and As concentrations can be explained by conservative mixing of shallow, young groundwater with geothermally influenced groundwater. Therefore water carrying an anthropogenic contaminant dilutes water carrying geogenic contaminants. This process is enabled by long well screens. Over-exploitation of aquifers in geothermal regions for agriculture can drive As concentrations in water from production wells to toxic levels even as the total dissolved solids remain low.

Charge carrier transport and electrochemical stability of Li2O doped glassy ceramics

We study electrical conductivity of new Li2O doped glassy ceramics in wide frequency and temperature regime not only for their applicability in various fields like lithium ion conductors but also for academic interest. Here, we employ “Jonscher’s power law model and Almond-West formalism” to interpret mixed conduction process in the present system. We use “Mott’s variable range hopping” model to analyse low temperature DC conductivity data. It also points that the ratio of power law pre-factor to the exponent (–log10 A/S) indicates temperature independency and strong composition dependency of present conductors. Higher lithium content in the composition may disturb “electrochemical stability” of the present system. We do believe that these glassy ceramics are suitable candidates for lithium ion battery application with lower lithium content.

Groundwater Hydrochemistry of Suprapermafrost–Intrapermafrost Flow in Their Discharge Areas in Central Yakutia

The results of long-term studies of a group of aufeis-forming Buluus groundwater sources are given. A stow, which has been formed by the spring, contains the drainage area of the suprapermafrost–intrapermafrost aquifer, which is widespread in the sand deposits of the bestyakhskaya terrace of the Lena River in Central Yakutia. The analysis of observations of 1964–2017 showed stable water chemistry in Buluus spring at the long-term scale. Considerable seasonal variations of water chemistry are typical of low-discharge springs, which start functioning after becoming free of aufeis. The spring water also shows higher concentrations of lithium and fluorine. The possible causes of the different chemistry of spring water are discussed, with special attention paid to the local activity of rock freezing and thawing processes in the aufeis valley. It is shown that groundwater samples are to be taken from all springs in the areas of their group discharge with the aim to assess the effect of natural and technogenic factors on the permafrost–hydrogeochemical conditions.

Mesocortical BDNF signaling mediates antidepressive-like effects of lithium.

Lithium has been used to treat major depressive disorder, yet the neural circuit mechanisms underlying this therapeutic effect remain unknown. Here, we demonstrated that the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine (DA) neurons that project to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), but not to nucleus accumbens (NAc), contributed to the antidepressive-like effects of lithium. Projection-specific electrophysiological recordings revealed that high concentrations of lithium increased firing rates in mPFC-, but not NAc-, projecting VTA DA neurons in mice treated with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CMS). In parallel, chronic administration of high-dose lithium in CMS mice restored the firing properties of mPFC-projecting DA neurons, and also rescued CMS-induced depressive-like behaviors. Nevertheless, chronic lithium treatment was insufficient to change the basal firing rates in NAc-projecting VTA DA neurons. Furthermore, chemogenetic activation of mPFC-, but not NAc-, projecting VTA DA neurons mimicked the antidepressive-like effects of lithium in CMS mice. Chemogenetic downregulation of VTA-mPFC DA neurons' firing activity abolished the antidepressive-like effects of lithium in CMS mice. Finally, we found that the antidepressant-like effects induced by high-dose lithium were mediated by BNDF signaling in the mesocortical DA circuit. Together, these results demonstrated the role of mesocortical DA projection in antidepressive-like effects of lithium and established a circuit foundation for lithium-based antidepressive treatment.