Electrochemical Intercalation of Lithium into Graphite in Acetonitrile Solutions: The Effect of the Anion Nature

Effect of the anion nature on the cathodic intercalation of lithium into graphite is studied. The duration of a discharge process and the capacity of LixC6 electrodes increase in the row Cl– ≪ HSO4– < ClO4– < SCN–. The highest negative potential of an LixC6 electrode is reached when lithiating in an LiSCN non-aqueous solution. X-ray diffraction and microstructure analyses confirm the presence in the electrode's upper layers of predominantly layered compounds LixC6Ay, where A is anion. In deep layers, the principal intercalation product is LixC6.