Lithium bis(oxalato)borate stabilizes graphite anode in propylene carbonate

This paper summarizes the preliminary results of our recent finding that lithium bis(oxalato)borate (LiBOB) can effectively stabilize graphitic anode materials in neat propylene carbonate (PC) while supporting reversible lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation, a unique behavior hitherto unobserved for any electrolyte salts. This ability of LiBOB to protect graphite from exfoliation in PC offers unprecedented flexibility for the efforts of reformulating lithium-ion electrolytes, where the displacement of the high melting solvent component ethylene carbonate by PC is no longer restricted by the concern of PC instability on graphitic anode surface. (C) 2002 The Electrochemical Society.