Role of Electrocatalysts in the Electrochemistry of Oxygen in Non-Aqueous Electrolytes

独立市场分析师竹下武表示，到2017年，全球锂离子电池市场规模预计将从2008年的80亿美元增至300亿美元。锂-空气或锂-氧电池是未来能量储存的重要技术，因为它们的理论能量密度几乎比最先进的锂离子电池高一个数量级。从长远来看，社会的储能需求可能需要电池来固定储电，以收集风力发电场产生的多余能量，并需要电池为电动汽车提供动力。这些技术的成功支撑了英国需要转向更低的碳和更绿色的经济，减少对二氧化碳产生的化石燃料的依赖。由于缺乏对空气阴极在还原和氧化过程中形成的产品的复杂性的了解，锂氧电池的发展受到阻碍。光谱学对于产品的鉴定和对电极界面化学的理解至关重要。此外，先进的原位光谱电化学技术帮助我们在完全电化学控制的情况下理解这些复杂的界面。一种特别敏感的技术--表面增强红外吸收光谱(SEIRAS)尚未应用于这些体系。此外，原位远红外光谱的发展将使我们能够在这些低频下识别锂氧化合物。因此，这项提议的目标是通过充分了解电池内发生的还原和氧化途径以及理解电催化表面的作用来推动锂氧技术的进步。

The global market for lithium-ion batteries is expected to increase from an estimated $8bn in 2008 to $30bn by 2017, according to independent market analyst Takeshita. Lithium-air or lithium-oxygen batteries are an important technology for future energy storage because they have theoretical energy densities that are almost an order of magnitude greater than the state-of-the-art Li-ion battery. The energy storage needs of society in the long-term are likely to demand batteries for both stationary power storage to collect unwanted energy generated from wind farms and batteries to power electric vehicles. The success of these technologies underpins the UK's need to move to a lower carbon and greener economy which is less reliant on carbon dioxide generating fossil fuels.The development of lithium-oxygen batteries is being hampered by lack of understanding of the complexity of products formed on the air-cathode during reduction and oxidation. Spectroscopy is critical for identification of products and the understanding of the chemistry at the interface of electrodes. Moreover advanced in situ spectroelectrochemical techniques help us to comprehend these complex interfaces whilst under full electrochemical control. A particularly sensitive technique, surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (SEIRAS) has not been applied to these systems. Furthermore development of in situ far-IR spectroscopy would enable us to identify lithium-oxygen compounds at these low frequencies. The goal of this proposal is therefore to further the progress of lithium-oxygen technology by fully understanding the reduction and oxidation pathways taking place within the battery and to comprehend the role of electrocatalytic surfaces.