Solvent for non-aqueous battery

1. A solvent compound of Formula (I):

(R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )Si—R 4 —O—C(O)—[(O—R 5 ) n —(O—C(O)] m —O—R 6 —X 1 ;

wherein:

each R 1 and R 2 independently is alkyl;

R 3 is alkyl, —X 2 —Si(R 7 )(R 8 )(R 9 ), or —CH 2 —O—C(O)—O—R 10 ;

each R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , and R 10 independently is alkyl;

each R 4 and R 6 independently is alkylene;

R 5 is C 2 to C 6 alkylene;

X 1 is H or —Si(R 11 )(R 12 )(R 13 );

X 2 is O or alkylene;

each R 11 and R 12 independently is alkyl;

R 13 is alkyl or —X 3 —Si(R 14 )(R 15 )(R 16 );

each R 14 , R 15 , and R 16 independently is alkyl;

X 3 is O or alkylene;

n is 1, 2, or 3; and

m is 0 or 1;

with proviso that when m is 0 and R 3 is alkyl, X 1 is —Si(R 11 )(R 12 )(R 13 ).

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein m is 1; and n is 1 or 2.

3. The compound of claim 2 , wherein R 3 is C 1 to C 6 alkyl.

4. The compound of claim 2 , wherein each of R 4 and R 6 is —CH 2 —.

5. The compound of claim 2 , wherein each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 11 , and R 12 is methyl.

6. The compound of claim 2 , wherein each R 5 independently is C 2 to C 3 alkylene.

7. The compound of claim 2 , wherein X 1 is H.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein m is 1; n is 1 or 2; each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 11 , R 12 , and R 13 is methyl; each R 5 is C 2 to C 3 alkylene; and each of R 4 and R 6 is —CH 2 —.

9. The compound of claim 1 , wherein m is 1; n is 1 or 2; and R 3 is —X 2 —Si(R 7 )(R 8 )(R 9 ).

10. The compound of claim 9 , wherein each X 2 , R 4 and R 6 is —CH 2 —.

11. The compound of claim 9 , wherein R 13 is —X 3 —Si(R 14 )(R 15 )(R 16 ); and each of R 1 , R 2 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 11 , R 12 , R 14 , R 15 , and R 16 is methyl.

12. The compound of claim 9 , wherein each R 5 independently is C 2 to C 3 alkylene.

13. The compound of claim 9 , wherein X 1 is H.

14. The compound of claim 1 , wherein m is 1; n is 1 or 2; R 3 is —CH 2 —Si(R 7 )(R 8 )(R 9 ); each of R 1 , R 2 , R 7 , R 8 , R 9 , R 11 , and R 12 is methyl; R 13 is methyl or —CH 2 —Si(CH 3 ) 3 ; each R 5 independently is C 2 to C 3 alkylene; and each of R 4 and R 6 is —CH 2 —.

15. The compound of claim 1 , wherein m is 0; and R 3 is —CH 2 —O—C(O)—O—R 10 .

16. The compound of claim 15 , wherein each of R 4 and R 6 independently is C 1 to C 6 alkylene; X 1 is H; and R 10 is C 1 to C 6 alkyl.

17. An electrolyte for a non-aqueous lithium battery comprising a lithium salt dissolved in a solvent comprising at least one compound of claim 1 .

18. The electrolyte of claim 17 , wherein the solvent further comprises one or more additional solvent compounds selected from the group consisting of an ether, a carbonate ester, a linear dialkyl carbonate, a cyclic alkylene carbonate, a nitrile, a sulfoxide, a sulfone, a fluoro-substituted linear dialkyl carbonate, a fluoro-substituted cyclic alkylene carbonate, a fluoro-substituted sulfolane, a fluoro-substituted sulfone, and a compound of Formula (II): (R 17 )(R 18 )(R 19 )Si—CH 2 —O—C(O)—O—R 20 , wherein each of R 17 , R 18 , R 19 , and R 20 independently is C 1 to C 6 alkyl.

19. The electrolyte of claim 17 , wherein the lithium salt comprises one or more salt selected from the group consisting of lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imidate, lithium 2-trifluoromethyl-4,5-dicyanoimidazolate, lithium 4,5-dicyano-1,2,3-triazolate, lithium trifluoromethanesulfonate, lithium perchlorate, lithium bis(oxalato)borate, lithium difluoro(oxalato)borate, lithium tetrafluoroborate, lithium hexafluorophosphate, lithium thiocyanate, lithium bis(fluorosulfonyl)imidate, lithium bis(pentafluoroethylsulfonyl)imidate, lithium tetracyanoborate, and lithium nitrate.

20. A lithium electrochemical cell comprising an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte of claim 17 contacting the anode and cathode.

21. A lithium battery comprising a plurality of the electrochemical cell of claim 20 electrically connected together in series, in parallel, or in both series and parallel.

22. A method of manufacturing a compound of Formula (I) of claim 1 , wherein m is 0; the method comprising reacting a silyl alcohol of formula (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )Si—R 4 —OH, in the presence of an alumina catalyst, with either:

(a) a molar excess of a carbonate of formula X 1 —R 6 —O—C(O)—O—R 6 —X 1 ; or

(b) with a molar excess of a dialkyl carbonate of formula Alkyl-O—C(O)—O-Alkyl to displace one O-Alkyl group of the dialkyl carbonate and form an intermediate compound of formula (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )Si—R 4 —O—C(O)—O-Alkyl, and then reacting the intermediate with an alcohol of formula HO—R 6 —X 1 , to displace O-Alkyl from the intermediate;

thereby forming the compound of Formula (I) wherein m is 0.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the alumina catalyst is a basic alumina catalyst and the molar excess of carbonate relative to the silyl alcohol is in the range of about 4:1 to about 10:1.

24. A method of manufacturing a compound of Formula (I) of claim 1 , wherein m is 1; the method comprising reacting a silyl alcohol of formula (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )Si—R 4 —OH with a molar excess of a dialkyl carbonate of formula Alkyl-O—C(O)—O-Alkyl in the presence of an alumina catalyst to displace one 0-Alkyl group of the dialkyl carbonate and form an intermediate compound of formula (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )si—R 4 —O—C(O)—O-Alkyl, followed by reacting the intermediate with an alkylene glycol of formula HO—R 5 —OH, so that each OH group of the alkylene glycol displaces an O-Alkyl group from a molecule of the intermediate to form the compound of Formula (I) wherein m is 1.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein the alumina catalyst is a basic alumina catalyst and the molar excess of carbonate relative to the silyl alcohol is in the range of about 4:1 to about 10:1.