Abstract: The battery includes a cathode and an anode. The anode has a first medium that includes a first active material. The anode also has a second medium including a concentration gradient of a second active material. The battery also includes an electrolytic solution in contact with the cathode and the anode. In some instances, the first medium is positioned so as to protect at least a portion of the second medium from the electrolytic solution. The first medium can also be selected so as to dissipate during discharge of the battery. The first medium can be configured to dissipate enough that one or more of the protected regions of the second medium become exposed to the electrolytic solution during the discharge of the battery.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a battery comprises a lithium organoborate salt in a lactone and a low viscosity solvent. The lithium organoborate salt may comprise LiBOB, or a mono[bidentate]borate salt. The lactone may comprise gamma butyrolactone. The low viscosity solvent may comprise a nitrile, an ether, a linear carbonate, or a linear ester. The electrolyte is suitable for use in lithium ion batteries having graphite negative electrodes. Batteries using this electrolyte have high conductivity, low polarization, and high discharge capacity.

Abstract: A secondary cell employs a nonaqueous electrolyte solution including a nonaqueous solvent and a salt, and a flame retardant material that is liquid at room temperature and pressure and substantially immiscible in the nonaqueous electrolyte solution. The nonaqueous electrolyte solution is formed by dissolving a salt, preferably an alkali metal salt, in a nonaqueous solvent. The nonaqueous solvent preferably includes a cyclic carbonate and/or a linear carbonate. The cyclic carbonate preferably contains an alkylene group with 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and the linear carbonate preferably contains a hydrocarbon group with 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Preferred salts include LiPF6 and LiBF4 at a concentration between about 0.1 and 3.0 moles/liter. The flame retardant material is preferably a halogen-containing compound in an amount by weight of nonaqueous solvent in a range of about 1 to about 99 wt %, and preferred halogen-containing compounds contain perfluoralkyl or perfluorether groups.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a battery comprises a lithium organoborate salt in a lactone and a low viscosity solvent. The lithium organoborate salt may comprise LiBOB. The lactone may comprise gamma butyrolactone. The low viscosity solvent may comprise a nitrile, an ether, a linear carbonate, or a linear ester. The electrolyte is suitable for use in lithium ion batteries having graphite negative electrodes. Batteries using this electrolyte have high conductivity, low polarization, and high discharge capacity.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a battery comprises LiBOB salt in gamma butyrolactone and a low viscosity solvent. The low viscosity solvent may comprise a nitrile, an ether, a linear carbonate, or a linear ester. This electrolyte is suitable for use in lithium ion batteries having graphite negative electrodes. Batteries using this electrolyte have high conductivity, low polarization, and high discharge capacity.

Abstract: A secondary cell employs a nonaqueous electrolyte solution including a nonaqueous solvent and a salt, and a flame retardant material that is liquid at room temperature and pressure and substantially immiscible in the nonaqueous electrolyte solution. The nonaqueous electrolyte solution is formed by dissolving a salt, preferably an alkali metal salt, in a nonaqueous solvent. The nonaqueous solvent preferably includes a cyclic carbonate and/or a linear carbonate. The cyclic carbonate preferably contains an alkylene group with 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and the linear carbonate preferably contains a hydrocarbon group with 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Preferred salts include LiPF6 and LiBF4 at a concentration between about 0.1 and 3.0 moles/liter. The flame retardant material is preferably a halogen-containing compound in an amount by weight of nonaqueous solvent in a range of about 1 to about 99 wt %, and preferred halogen-containing compounds contain perfluoralkyl or perfluorether groups.

Abstract: A secondary cell employs a non-aqueous electrolyte solution including a non-aqueous solvent and a salt, and a flame retardant material that is a liquid at room temperature and pressure and substantially immiscible in the non-aqueous electrolyte solution. The non-aqueous electrolyte solution is formed by dissolving a salt, preferably an alkali metal salt, in a non-aqueous solvent. The non-aqueous solvent preferably includes a cyclic carbonate and/or a linear carbonate. The cyclic carbonate preferably contains an alkylene group with 2 to 5 carbon atoms, and the linear carbonate preferably contains a hydrocarbon group with 1 to 5 carbon atoms. Preferred salts include LiPF6 and LiBF4 at a concentration from about 0.1 to about 3.0 moles/liter in the non-aqueous solvent.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a battery comprises LiBOB salt in gamma butyrolactone and a low viscosity solvent. The low viscosity solvent may comprise a nitrile, an ether, a linear carbonate, or a linear ester. This electrolyte is suitable for use in lithium ion batteries having graphite negative electrodes. Batteries using this electrolyte have high conductivity, low polarization, and high discharge capacity.

Abstract: An electrolyte for a battery comprises LiBOB salt in gamma butyrolactone and a low viscosity solvent. The low viscosity solvent may comprise a nitrile, an ether, a linear carbonate, or a linear ester. This electrolyte is suitable for use in lithium ion batteries having graphite negative electrodes. Batteries using this electrolyte have high conductivity, low polarization, and high discharge capacity.

Abstract: Non-aqueous electrolytic solutions for capacitors which release a little gas, have excellent potential window of electrochemical stability and enable capacitors to show excellent charging/discharging cycle properties and safety performance, and capacitors containing such non-aqueous electrolytic solutions. The non-aqueous electrolytic solution for capacitors comprises an electrolytic solution containing at least one cyclic carbonic ester selected from specified compounds and an electrolyte.

Abstract: Non-aqueous electrolytic solutions for capacitor which release little gas and have excellent potential window of electrochemical stability, and which enable capacitors to have excellent charging/discharging cycle properties and safety performance, and capacitors containing such non-aqueous electrolytic solutions. Such non-aqueous electrolytic solutions for capacitors include an electrolyte selected from the group consisting of ammonium salts, phosphonium salts and amidine salts and a solvent for containing at least one phosphoric ester represented by the following formula (I): wherein, R1, R2 and R3, which may be the same or different, are an alkyl group, an unsaturated hydrocarbon group or an aryl group.

Abstract: Disclosed is a polycyclic compound represented by the following formula (I):R.sup.1 --X.sup.1 --[A.sup.1 --X.sup.2 ]--[A.sup.2 --X.sup.3 ]--R.sup.2 (I)wherein R.sup.1 is a (halogenated) alkyl group of 6 to 16 carbon atoms, X.sup.1 is --O-- group or a single bond, A.sup.1 is a biphenylene group, a phenylene group or the like, A.sup.2 is 1-fluoro-3,4-dihydronaphthalene or the like, X.sup.2 and X.sup.3 are each --COO--, a single bond or the like, and R.sup.2 is an optically active group of 4 to 20 carbon atoms which has at least one asymmetric carbon atom. Also disclosed are a liquid crystal material consisting of the polycyclic compound, a liquid crystal composition comprising the liquid crystal material, and a liquid crystal element. This novel polycyclic compound is optically active and capable of being in a smectic phase in a wide temperature range including room temperature. The polycyclic compound can be used as a ferroelectric liquid crystal material or an antiferroelectric liquid crystal material.

Abstract: A novel hydrazine compound represented by the formula (I) is disclosed. ##STR1## Also disclosed are a process for preparing the novel hydrazine compound comprising reacting a specific hydrazine compound and a specific acid halide, a nonlinear optical organic material comprising the hydrazine compound represented by the above formula (I), and a nonlinear optical organic element comprising the nonlinear optical organic material. The nonlinear optical organic material shows excellent nonlinear optical effect, and the material is favorably applied to nonlinear optical organic elements such as an optical wavelength conversion element and an electrooptical element.