On the Mechanism of Thionyl Chloride Reduction

In order to better understand the discharge reaction mechanism, a technique has been devised to allow for the in-situ sampling of electrolytes from the electrode surface of a functioning LiSOCl2 battery, followed immediately by the analysis of the electrolytes by utilizing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. It is believed that the in-situ sampling method and the relatively short length of time (about 30 seconds) required to perform the experiment have allowed the experimenters to observe some of the reaction intermediates. 8 refs.