Uncovering the Mechanism of Reactive Oxygen Species Scavenging by Organosilicon Lithium-Ion Battery Electrolyte Additives Using Fundamental Kinetic Analysis

Reactive oxygen species, among them radical anions, have been a subject of numerous investigations within the lithium-ion battery and lithium-air battery communities because of their capacity for destructive side reactions with both solvent and electrolyte components of their chemistries. Electrolyte additive components which can control these destructive species represent an opportunity for technical innovation. Such innovation, however, is hampered by a lack of fundamental understanding of the reactive pathways that these reactive compounds might take in systems as complex as battery electrolyte. With this in mind, we have explored a family of structurally related reactive oxygen species scavenging electrolyte additive molecules and quantified their fundamental reactivity with the superoxide radical anion. These experiments have also allowed us to determine the mechanism of action by which these additives scavenge radical anions, thereby supporting the rational design of future additives aimed at reactive oxygen species suppression in battery contexts.