J. Am. Chem. Soc., 128 (4), 1390 -1393, 2006. 10.1021/ja056811q S0002-7863(05)06811-3
Web Release Date: January 5, 2006

Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society

Rechargeable Li2O2 Electrode for Lithium Batteries

Takeshi Ogasawara, Aurélie Débart, Michael Holzapfel, Petr Novák, and Peter G. Bruce*

Contribution from the School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, U.K., and Electrochemistry Laboratory, Paul Scherrer Institut, CH-5232 Villigen PSI, Switzerland

P.G.Bruce@st-andrews.ac.uk

Received October 5, 2005

Abstract:

Rechargeable lithium batteries represent one of the most important developments in energy storage for 100 years, with the potential to address the key problem of global warming. However, their ability to store energy is limited by the quantity of lithium that may be removed from and reinserted into the positive intercalation electrode, LixCoO2, 0.5 <x <1 (corresponding to 140 mA·h g-1 of charge storage). Abandoning the intercalation electrode and allowing Li to react directly with O2 from the air at a porous electrode increases the theoretical charge storage by a remarkable 5-10 times! Here we demonstrate two essential prerequisites for the successful operation of a rechargeable Li/O2 battery; that the Li2O2 formed on discharging such an O2 electrode is decomposed to Li and O2 on charging (shown here by in situ mass spectrometry), with or without a catalyst, and that charge/discharge cycling is sustainable for many cycles.

Download the full text: PDF | HTML