Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are essential to renewable energy development and are presently being utilized in more numerous applications including but not limited to consumer electronics and larger scale energy storage for backup residential power as well as electric vehicles. It is known that during cycling and especially at elevated temperatures, LIBs form gaseous reduction and degradation products which cause performance fade as well as unsafe intracellular pressure which can contribute to cell rupture. With cycling, carbonate based electrolytes decompose into CO₂ and various other SEI components and vary in concentration dependent on the construction of the cell. Here, we present preliminary NMR, IR, and GC-MS results of studies performed on model systems consisting of lithium napthalenide, and solid sodium and lithium reacted with CO₂ gas. We confirm here that the fate of evolved CO₂ is to react with metallic lithium to form simple lithium carbonate and not more complex products such as lithium oxalate or lithium alkyl carbonates.