An O2 Electrode for a Rechargeable Lithium Battery

能源储存在应对全球变暖方面发挥着重要作用。开发一些存储技术至关重要。其中最有前途的是可充电锂电池。这种电池是混合动力汽车的首选技术（约30%的二氧化碳排放来自运输），它们可以为清洁能源的储存做出重要贡献，包括微电网和离网应用。目前可充电锂电池由石墨负极、有机电解质和LiCoO 2正极组成。Li在充电时从层状插层化合物LiCoO 2中除去，并在放电时重新插入。能量存储受限于LiCoO 2电极（0.5 Li/Co，130 mAhg-1）。世界范围内所有旨在改进正极嵌入电极的研究只能希望将能量存储加倍到1 Li/Tm（300 mAhg-1）。我们提出了一个步骤的变化，在可充电锂电池中，通过用多孔碳电极取代LiCoO 2电极，并允许电池中的Li+和e-与空气中的O2反应。与LiCoO 2相比，存储能量的能力可以提高5-10倍，O2的供应实际上是无限的，并且成本显著降低（LiCoO 2是当前电池中最昂贵的组分）。我们的初步研究表明，O2电池是可充电的，可以持续循环。该提案解决了实现这种基于非水O2电极的全新高能量存储电池所需的许多材料问题。

Energy storage has an important role to play in addressing global warming. It is vital to develop a number of storage technologies. One of the most promising is the rechargeable lithium battery. Such batteries are the technology of choice for hybrid electrical vehicles (some 30% of CO2 emissions arise from transport) and they can make a critical contribution to the storage of clean energy, including for micro-grid and off-grid applications.Currently rechargeable lithium batteries are composed of a graphite negative electrode, an organic electrolyte and LiCoO2 as the positive electrode. Li is removed from the layered intercalation compound LiCoO2 on charging and re-inserted on discharge. Energy storage is limited by the LiCoO2 electrode (0.5 Li/Co, 130 mAhg-1). All the research taking place worldwide aimed at improving the positive intercalation electrode can only hope to double the energy storage to 1 Li/Tm (300 mAhg-1). We propose a step change in rechargeable lithium batteries by replacing the LiCoO2 electrode with a porous carbon electrode and allowing Li+ and e- in the cell to react with O2 from the air. The capacity to store energy can be raised by 5-10 times compared with LiCoO2, supply of O2 is in-effect infinite and the cost is reduced significantly (LiCoO2 is the most expensive component of current batteries). Our preliminary studies have shown that the O2 cell is rechargeable and can sustain cycling. The proposal addresses a number of the materials issues necessary to realise this radically new high energy storage battery based on a non-aqueous O2 electrode.