Electrochemistry of NaK2C12 in lithium-containing electrolytes and its use in lithium-ion cells☆ Original Research Article

The electrochemistry of NaK2C12 in 1 M LiClO4 EC-DMC solutions has been studied. The results show that, upon oxidation, NaK2C12 irreversibly releases one mole of potassium ions. The resulting composite electrode, that appears to be a mixture of graphite and Na–K alloy, is capable to reversibly intercalate lithium up to LiC6 with fast rate. The compound can be used in lithium-ion cells with partially lithiated cathodes such as LiMn2O4, resulting in a two plateaus cell operating in the Li1+xMn2O4 and Li1−xMn2O4 regions.