Scientific Achievement
Advances in materials functionality for Li-O2 electrochemistry have resulted in a Li-O2 battery that is able to run under a realistic air atmosphere with a long cycle life.
Significance and Impact
The new Li-O2 cell architecture is a promising step toward engineering the next generation of lithium batteries with much higher specific energy density than lithium ion batteries.
Research Details
- Development of new materials with key functionalities: a robust lithium protective coating, a synergistic electrolyte blend, and very active cathode for O2 reduction and evolution.
- These new materials have been successfully merged to create a highly reversible and stable Li-O2 electrochemical cell operating in air.
- Density functional and molecular dynamics simulations have provided key insight into electrochemical properties of the new materials and how they enable long cycle life.
