Tris (oxalato) phosphorus acid and its lithium salt

The conversion of three equivalents of anhydrous oxalic acid with phosphorus pentachloride yields tris(oxalato)phosphorus acid 1, which crystallizes from diethyl ether solutions as protonated diethyl ether complex [(Et2O)(2)H](+) [P(C2O4)(3)](-). The superacidic compound can be used as catalyst for Friedel-Crafts-type reactions. Upon neutralization with lithium hydride, the lithium salt Li[P(C2O4)(3)] 2 is obtained, which is highly soluble in aprotic solvents and which exhibits a wide voltage window. Thus, the lithium compound is a promising candidate as electrolyte for high performance non-aqueous batteries.