Formation of an Electroactive Polymer Gel Film upon Lithiation and Delithiation of PbSe

• Published in: Journal of the Electrochemical Society Vol. 163; no. 8; pp. A1666 - A1671
• Main Authors: Wood, Sean M., Pham, Codey H., Heller, Adam, Mullins, C. Buddie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Electrochemical Society 01.01.2016
• ISSN: 0013-4651; 1945-7111
• DOI: 10.1149/2.0961608jes

Because lead telluride (PbTe) was found to rapidly and reversibly lithiate to form Li+-conductive Li2Te and a series of Li-Pb alloys, we explored the reversibility and rate of lithiation of PbSe. As expected, PbSe was also reversibly lithiated to Li2Se and Li-Pb alloys, but the electrode was less stable and could not be cycled as rapidly. When the electrode was cycled at a slow rate, an electroactive polymer gel film derived of the 1 M LiPF6 in 1:1 fluoroethylene carbonate/diethyl carbonate (w/w) electrolyte built up in the initial 25 cycles. Electroreduction and electrooxidation of this film added to the capacity by as much as 300 mAh g−1 above its theoretical value.