In this work, we propose an innovative full-sealed lithium-oxygen battery (F-S-LOB) concept incorporating oxygen storage layers (OSLs) and experimentally validate it. OSLs were fabricated with three carbons of varying microstructures (MICC, MESC and MACC).
The advancement of lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2) batteries has been hindered by challenges including low discharge capacity, poor energy efficiency, severe parasitic reactions, etc.
Why do lithium-oxygen batteries have a large charge overpotential?
Current lithium–oxygen (Li–O 2) batteries suffer from large charge overpotentials related to the electronic resistivity of the insulating lithium peroxide (Li 2 O 2) discharge product. One potential solution is the formation and stabilization of a lithium superoxide (LiO 2) discharge intermediate that exhibits good electronic conductivity.
A rechargeable lithium-oxygen battery with dual mediators stabilizing the carbon cathode. Nat. Energy 2, 17118 (2017). Gao, X., Chen, Y., Johnson, L. & Bruce, P. G. Promoting solution phase discharge in Li-O 2 batteries containing weakly solvating electrolyte solutions. Nat. Mater. 15, 882–888 (2016).
Are lithium-oxygen batteries practical?
The practical capacity of lithium-oxygen batteries falls short of their ultra-high theoretical value. Unfortunately, the fundamental understanding and enhanced design remain lacking, as the issue is complicated by the coupling processes between Li 2 O 2 nucleation, growth, and multi-species transport.
Lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2) batteries have the highest theoretical specific energy among all-known battery chemistries and are deemed a disruptive technology if a practical device could be realized (1 – 4).
Can non-aqueous rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries replace petroleum?
At this moment, non-aqueous rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries (LOBs) with extremely high energy density are regarded as the most viable energy storage devices to potentially replace petroleum. One of the most crucial impediments to their implementation has been ensuring facile oxygen availability.