On the Stability and Reactivity of Redox Shuttles in Their Neutral and Radical Cation Forms. Issue 1740 (13th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Odom, Susan A.; Casselman, Matthew; Kaur, Aman Preet; Ergun, Selin; Zhang, Naijao
• Editors: Cresce, A.
• Is Part Of: MRS proceedings. Issue 1740:(2015)
• Publication Date: 2015-05-13
• Subjects: chemical reaction, -- energy storage, -- organic; Electrical engineering -- Congresses; Physics -- Congresses; Materials -- Research -- Congresses; Materials science -- Congresses; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1557/opl.2015.458
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-9172

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The performance of aromatic compounds as redox shuttles for overcharge protection in lithium-ion batteries is quite variable and is often difficult to predict. Redox shuttles may decompose in battery electrolyte in their neutral and radical cation forms, both of which are present during overcharge protection. While hundreds of compounds have been evaluated as redox shuttle candidates and a few have stood out as top performers, the reasons for increased stability over similar candidates with slightly different structures is often unclear, and the exploration of decomposition of redox shuttles has been severely limited, restricting our ability to design improved versions of redox shuttles that do not suffer from the same reactions in lithium-ion batteries. To better understand the stability and reactivity of redox shuttles (also relevant to the improvement of positive electrode materials in non-aqueous redox flow batteries) our research has focused on measuring the stability of neutral and oxidized forms of redox shuttle candidates as well as using a variety of spectroscopic methods to analyze the byproducts of decomposition, both from radical cations generated in model solvents and electrolytes from postmortem analysis of failed batteries.