A highly soluble dimethoxybenzene derivative as a redox shuttle for overcharge protection of secondary lithium batteries

A compound 4-tertbutyl-1,2-dimethoxybenzene (TDB) was synthesized and tested as a redox shuttle for overcharge protection of Li–LiFePO4 batteries. This isomer of tertbutyl-substituted dimethoxybenzene is miscible with the organic polar electrolytes and provides a solution for the poor solubility of ditertbutyl-substituted 1,4-dimethoxybenzenes as a redox shuttle additive. The experimental results demonstrated that the shuttle molecules added in the electrolyte cannot only provide feasible overcharge protection, but also have indiscernible detrimental influences on the charge–discharge behaviors of Li–LiFePO4 cells, showing a great prospect for practical applications in commercial rechargeable lithium batteries.