For application to Li-ion batteries, we studied the electrochemical behavior and thermal stability of the following two combinations of binary electrolyte additives in a triphenylphosphate (TPP)-containing ionic electrolyte: vinyl acetate (VA) plus vinylene carbonate (VC), and vinyl ethylene carbonate (VEC) plus biphenyl (BP). Mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) and LiCoO2 were used as the anode and cathode materials, respectively. Cyclic voltarnmetry (CV), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used for the analyses. These results confirmed the capability of the VEC + BP electrolyte additive to improve the cell performance and electrolyte thermal stability in TPP-containing solutions in Li-ion batteries. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.