The performance of a liquid electrolyte composed of lithium bis-fluorosulfonyl imide (LiSFI) in a 1: 1 volume of ethylene carbonate and dimethyl carbonate is evaluated for use in lithium ion batteries. Imide salts offer the benefits of higher thermal stability and could provide a safer alternative to LiPF6 which is prone to the formation of HF. However, the most studied lithium imide salt, lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl) imide, is well known to have a problem with corrosion of aluminum which is commonly used as the cathode current collector. Consequently, the corrosion properties of liquid electrolytes based on lithium bis-fluorosulfonyl imide are also investigated. Crown Copyright (C) 2008 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.