Thermally activated electrochemical cell including an alkali metal salt solvate electrolyte

Claim 1

A thermally activated electrochemical cell including a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte which is disposed between said cathode and anode, is an electrically non-conductive solid at ambient temperatures and is capable of becoming an ionically conductive liquid upon being heated above its melting point, said electrolyte comprising a crystalline coordination compound formed by the solvation of an alkali metal salt selected from the group consisting of the bromides, iodides, thiocyanates, perchlorates, chlorates, nitrates, acetates, tetrafluoroborates, hexafluorophosphates, and hexafluoroantimonates of lithium and sodium, lithium chloride, potassium iodide, and potassium thiocyanate with a polar organic solvent selected from the group consisting of hexamethylphosphoramide, formamide, N-methylformamide, dimethylformamide, N-ethylformamide, diethylformamide, tetramethylurea, trimethylphosphate, triethylphosphate, tripropylphosphate, tributylphosphate, acetamide, dimethylacetamide, diethylacetamide, acetonitrile, acetone, pyridine, dimethylsulfoxide, diethylsulfoxide, dipropylsulfoxide, ethylene glycol, propylene carbonate, and lower alkyl alcohols containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms.