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Updated: Jul 2, 2025
A Protocol for Safe Lithiation Reactions Using Organolithium Reagents
Published on: November 12, 2016
Elucidating the Reduction Mechanism of Lithium Bis(oxalato)borate
Tim Melin1, Robin Lundström1, Erik J Berg1
1Department of Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 538, SE-751 21 Uppsala, Sweden.
Abstract:
Electrolyte additives are indispensable to enhance the performance of Li-ion batteries. Lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) has been explored for many years, as it improves both cathode and anode performance. No consensus regarding its reaction mechanisms has, however, been established. A model operando study combining attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM), and online electrochemical mass spectrometry (OEMS) is herein presented to elucidate LiBOB reduction and electrode/electrolyte interphases thus formed. Reduction of the BOB- ion sets in at ∼1.8 V with solid lithium oxalate and soluble oxalatoborates as the main products. The reduced BOB- ion also reacts with itself and its environment to evolve CO2, which in turn impacts the interphase formed on the negative electrode. This study provides further insights into the reduction pathways of LiBOB and how they contribute to the interphase formation.
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