Electrochemical behavior and application of a silver electrode in a 1 M LiPF6 solution

The electrochemical behavior of a silver electrode was studied with lithium sheets as the counter and reference electrodes in a 1 M LiPF6 (EC/DMC = 1:1, v/v) solution. Cyclic voltammetry results showed that there were some cathodic reductions of the silver electrode. The phases of the electrodes were studied using X-ray diffraction. New compound phases (labeled as phase ⅠⅠ) appeared after the silver electrode was polarized under 0 mV (vs. Li/Li+) for 25 h. Phase ⅠⅠ was a silver lithium alloy phase (AgLi). A new metallic silver material (phase ⅠⅠⅠ) was formed after the lithium was removed from phase ⅠⅠ by reacting with water. Scanning electron microscopy experiments showed that the new metallic silver had a nanoporous morphology, with particle sizes ranging from 100 to 800 nm and pore sizes ranging from 100 to 500 nm. The thickness of the formed nanoporous silver was ∼17 μm.