Electrochemical Intercalation of Lithium in Graphite Using a Molten-Salt Cell

The lithium intercalation compounds C64Li, C32Li, C18Li, C12Li and C6Li have been generated successively, for the first time, by electrochemical pulse titration. The compounds have been identified coulometrically and in part by NMR spectra. Intercalation of lithium in graphite appears to be sensitive to structural changes in the host graphite and is characterized by overlap of stoichiometric regions, resulting in narrow potential plateaus for the higher intercalation stages. This appears to be related to the extremely rapid diffusion of lithium (diffusivity values of 10−5 to 10−7 cm2/s at 400–600°C), in the host graphite.