Oxidation potentials of electrolyte solutions for lithium cells

The oxidation potentials, Eox, of several solutions of interest for nonaqueous Li cells have been measured by linear sweep voltammetric experiments. A correlation is found between Eox and the basicity of the solvents, expressed by their donor numbers (DN). Esters and sulfones have higher resistance to oxidation than ethers, which possess the highest DN values. All solutions have Eox > 4 V vs Li/Li+. However, some reactivity between positive electrodes and solutions has been observed below this potential