Investigations of the Electrochemical Stability of Aqueous Electrolytes for Lithium Battery Applications

The electrolytic stability windows of several aqueous electrolytes were investigated by a constant current method. The electrode potential range depended upon the value of the imposed current. The magnitude of this behavior varied with the salt solution, its concentration, and pH of the electrolyte. At a leakage current density of 50 A/cm2, a 5 M solution of LiNO3 had an electrolytic window of 2.3 V, spanning from 0.55 to 1.75 V with respect to the standard hydrogen electrode. These results demonstrate the feasibility of operating lithium batteries at voltages appreciably above the theoretical decomposition voltage of water. © 2010 The Electrochemical Society. DOI: 10.1149/1.3329652 All rights reserved.