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

独立市场分析机构Takeshita表示，预计到2017年，全球锂离子电池市场将从2008年的80亿美元增至300亿美元。锂空气或锂氧电池是未来储能的重要技术，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用于固定储能，以收集风电场产生的不需要的能量，并为电动汽车提供动力。这些技术的成功支持了英国转向低碳和绿色经济的需要，这种经济对产生二氧化碳的化石燃料的依赖程度较低。由于对还原和氧化过程中在空气阴极上形成的产物的复杂性缺乏了解，锂氧电池的发展受到阻碍。光谱学对于产品的识别和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理解这些复杂的界面，同时在完全电化学控制。一个特别敏感的技术，表面增强红外吸收光谱（SEIRAS）尚未应用于这些系统。此外，原位远红外光谱的发展将使我们能够在这些低频率下识别锂氧化合物。因此，该提案的目标是通过充分理解电池内发生的还原和氧化途径并理解电催化表面的作用来进一步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.