Patent ID: 8795904

Claim:
An electrochemical device comprising: a negative electrode comprising a metal or an electrode active material that reversibly intercalates and de-intercalates cations; a positive electrode comprising an electrode active material that reversibly intercalates and de-intercalates cations or anions; a barrier comprising a porous polyolefin separator or a gellable polymer film separating said negative electrode from said positive electrode; and a nonaqueous electrolyte contacting said negative electrode and said positive electrode, said nonaqueous electrolyte comprising at least one unsaturated molecule acting as a solvent or an additive and comprising the following structure (1) or structure (2): wherein R 1-3 are saturated substituents selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C10 normal alkyls, C3-C10 branched alkyls, halogen radicals, alkoxyls, thioalkoxyls, and aromatic radicals, or unsaturated substituents selected from the radicals in the following structures (9) through (11): wherein R 4-6 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C10 normal alkyls, C3-C10 branched alkyls, halogen radicals, alkoxyls, thioalkoxyls, and aromatic radicals; wherein said unsaturated molecule comprises at least one unsaturated substituent selected from the group consisting of structure (9), structure (10) and structure (11); wherein X is carbonyl, thionyl, or sulfonyl; wherein Y is phosphinyl or phosphoryl; wherein i, j, and k are integers independent from each other and range from 0 to 1; wherein l, m, and n are integers independent from each other and range from 0 to 2, respectively; and wherein q is 1 or 2 when R 1 is the unsaturated substituent having the structure (9), and wherein q is an integer and ranges from 0 to 2 when R 1 is a saturated substituent or an unsaturated substituent having the structure (10) or (11); and wherein r is 1 or 2 when R 2 is the unsaturated substituent having the structure (9), and wherein r is an integer and ranges from 0 to 2 when R 2 is a saturated substituent or an unsaturated substituent having the structure (10) or (11); and wherein said nonaqueous electrolyte comprises at least one said unsaturated molecule of structures (1) or (2), wherein X is sulfonyl and Y is phosphoryl, and wherein i, j, k, l, m, and n equal zero.