Battery knowledge · Electrochemistry fundamentals
Redox mediator
A dissolved molecule that is oxidised or reduced at the electrode and then carries that charge to an active material it can reach chemically, such as solid Li₂O₂ in a lithium–air battery, cutting the charging overpotential. Overcharge-protection additives work similarly: a redox shuttle oxidises at a set potential, diffuses to the negative electrode and returns, carrying the excess current.
- Also called
- electron shuttle, redox shuttle
Example
Electrochemistry fundamentals: an example situation
A circuit can predict terminal voltage while leaving electrode potentials and reaction kinetics unresolved.
Read Redox mediator alongside Electrolyte additive in this context. A compound added to the electrolyte at a few percent to improve one property — vinylene carbonate and fluoroethylene carbonate build a tougher SEI, others suppress gassing or overcharge. Additive packages are among a cell maker’s closest secrets.
Use in Lemonergy
Connect reaction sites and transport paths.
This is a reference concept. No executable Lemonergy block has been verified for this term.
References & further reading
Further reading on this topic
These sources provide broader context; they are not presented as citations for every statement in this entry.
- Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, 3rd edition, 2nd printing
IUPAC · 2011
Topic background · Physical-chemistry notation, thermodynamics, electrochemistry and transport quantities.