Improvement in discharge rate and low temperature characteristics of lithium—iodine cells

An improvement in the discharge rate and low temperature characteristics of lithium—iodine cells has been made by the use of an additive, which is a charge transfer complex with lower resistivity over a wide temperature range, to poly-2-vinylpyridine iodide to form a cathode material. The improved cell can be discharged at several milliamperes (37 °C). The load voltage remains stable above 2.0 V under a constant current load of 10 – 20 μA even at temperatures as low as −50 °C. The donor weight of the additive is only about 0.7 – 1.4% of that of the cathode material.