Hiroshi Konuma

(CH)x/(CH)x battery with unsymmetrical tetraalkyl ammonium salt

Abstract The performance of nonaqueous (CH)x/(CH)x battery operated at a high current density of 5 mA/cm 2 has been investigated. Nitrile was found to be suitable as a solvent because of its good solubility, highly electrical conductivity and wide electrochemical stability window. Acetonitrile showed the best dielectric constant but benzonitrile exhibited better battery performance due to its lower reactivity with (CH). As a supporting electrolyte, unsymmetrical tetraalkyl ammonium salts showed better solubility and higher conductivity than symmetrical ones. Three types of (CH)x (film, gel and powder) with fibrillar morphology were used as electrode materials. The battery performance was as follows, gel > powder >film. At a low temperature of −28 °C, cycle life and self discharge performance were greatly improved. The self discharge ratio was increased by the addition of R 3 N in electrolyte.