Observation of Lithium Isotope Effect Accompanying Electrochemical Insertion of Lithium into Tin

Abstract

Electrolysis of an organic electrolyte solution containing lithium ions was conducted to observe lithium isotope fractionation accompanying electrochemical insertion of lithium from the electrolyte to tin metal. The experimental setup consisted of a three-electrode electrolysis cell with a tin wire as cathode, lithium foils as anode and reference electrode and 1 M LiPF6 dissolved in 1:2 volume ratio of ethylene carbonate and methylethyl carbonate as electrolyte and a power supply. The supplied electric energy was mostly consumed for the lithium insertion from the electrolyte to the tin cathode within the range of the cathode potential, relative to the reference electrode potential, from 0.05 V to 0.30 V. The single-stage separation factor increased with increasing cathode potential and seemed to asymptotically approach to the limiting value of 1.015 at 25®C, with 6Li being preferentially fractionated into tin metal.