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Advances in understanding mechanisms underpinning lithium–air batteries

Nature Energy volume 1, Article number: 16128 (2016) Cite this article

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Abstract

The rechargeable lithium–air battery has the highest theoretical specific energy of any rechargeable battery and could transform energy storage if a practical device could be realized. At the fundamental level, little was known about the reactions and processes that take place in the battery, representing a significant barrier to progress. Here, we review recent advances in understanding the chemistry and electrochemistry that govern the operation of the lithium–air battery, especially the reactions at the cathode. The mechanisms of O2 reduction to Li2O2 on discharge and the reverse process on charge are discussed in detail, as are their consequences for the rate and capacity of the battery. The various parasitic reactions involving the cathode and electrolyte during discharge and charge are also considered. We also provide views on understanding the stability of the cathode and electrolyte and examine design principles for better lithium–air batteries.

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Figure 1: The basics of lithium–air batteries.
Figure 2: Surface and solution growth mechanisms of Li2O2 in different electrolyte solutions.
Figure 3: Reduction mechanisms in a Li–O2 cell at low overpotentials.
Figure 4: Significant effect of DBBQ on discharge in ethers.
Figure 5: The mechanism of Li2O2 oxidation during the charge.
Figure 6: Challenges facing the Li–O2 battery cathode.
Figure 7: Kinetics of Li2O2 formation and oxidation and origins of CO2 evolution.

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Acknowledgements

P.G.B. is indebted to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), including the SUPREGEN programme, for financial support. L.F.N. gratefully acknowledges Natural Resources Canada, and also Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) for funding through its Discovery and Research Chair programs. D.A. thanks A. Frimer and D. Sharon, BIU for helpful discussions and the Israel Science Foundation (ISF) for support in the framework on the INREP project. B.D.M. gratefully acknowledges financial support from the FY 2014 Vehicle Technologies Program Wide Funding Opportunity Announcement, under Award Number DE-FOA-0000991 (0991-1872), by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) on behalf of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Bar Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, 52900, Israel

    Doron Aurbach

  2. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 94720, California, USA

    Bryan D. McCloskey

  3. Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, 94720, California, USA

    Bryan D. McCloskey

  4. Department of Chemistry, The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Ontario, Canada

    Linda F. Nazar

  5. Departments of Materials and Chemistry, Parks Road, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PH, UK

    Peter G. Bruce

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Aurbach, D., McCloskey, B., Nazar, L. et al. Advances in understanding mechanisms underpinning lithium–air batteries. Nat Energy 1, 16128 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nenergy.2016.128

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