Understanding reaction pathways in alkali metal-air batteries for high energy storage

为了满足社会长期的能量存储需求，需要在能量密度上取得重大突破。金属氧电池的理论能量密度是最先进的锂离子电池技术的10倍。本提案的目标是通过充分了解碱金属-氧电池中发生的还原和氧化途径，使这项技术能够被采用。原位电化学拉曼是一种表面敏感技术，能够在分子水平上在各种含Li+的非水溶剂和离子液体中跟踪这些途径。这项工作的不同之处在于，氧还原反应和氧析反应将在多种底物上用拉曼进行研究，不仅是在Au上，还包括过渡金属氧化物催化剂，如二氧化锰（MnO2），贵金属催化剂，如Pt，以及实用的电极材料，如碳。这项工作将进一步表征其他碱金属阳离子（Na+和K+）存在时的氧还原和氧演化，这些阳离子也提供了金属- o2电池比锂离子电池更大的能量密度。这些元素比锂元素丰富得多，因此可以提供一种更可持续的能源存储解决方案，甚至可以超越长期。

A major breakthrough in energy density is required to satisfy the energy storage needs of society in the long-term. Metal-oxygen batteries have theoretical energy densities up to 10 times that of the state-of-the-art Li-ion battery technology. The goal of this proposal is to enable the uptake of this technology by fully understanding the reduction and oxidation pathways taking place in alkali metal-oxygen batteries.In situ electrochemical Raman is a surface sensitive technique which is able to follow at the molecular level these pathways in various Li+ containing non-aqueous solvents and also ionic liquids. What sets this work apart is that oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction will be investigated with Raman on multiple substrates, not just on Au, but also transition metal oxide catalysts, such as manganese dioxide (MnO2), noble metal catalysts, such as Pt and on practical electrode materials, such as carbon. The work will go further in the characterisation of oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution in the presence of other alkali metal cations (Na+ and K+) that also offer great gains in energy density as metal-O2 cells over Li-ion. These elements are much more abundant than lithium and therefore would offer a more sustainable energy storage solution for even beyond the long-term.