Identification of Surface Films Formed on Lithium Surfaces in γ‐Butyrolactone Solutions: I . Uncontaminated Solutions

Surface films formed on lithium surfaces in γ‐butyrolactone (BL) solutions were studied using FTIR and NMR. Two types of lithium surfaces were studied: solid lithium and lithium amalgam. In both cases, the main components of those surface films were lithium butyrate and a lithium salt of a cyclic β‐keto ester anion. Their mechanism of formation is discussed.