Practical Lithium Air Batteries

该项目的中心是开发一种实用的、性能更好的锂空气电池单体电池。该项目联合体包括贝尔法斯特皇后大学和利物浦大学作为学术合作伙伴，庄臣马泰、Axeon、捷豹路虎和Air Products作为工业合作伙伴。现有电解液对超氧化物的不稳定是当前实验室规模锂空气电池实现良好循环寿命的主要障碍，这是因为如果使用现有的锂离子电池有机电解液，由于溶剂分解形成不可逆物质而导致容量衰退。因此，大量的工作将集中在合成能够在锂空气电池中幸存下来的新型电解液，在锂空气电池中，较大的操作电压窗口和对超氧化物侵蚀的免疫力是关键特征，结合实际的氧溶解度和离子电导率水平。新型离子液体电解质和混合物将利用昆士兰州立大学的专业知识，并利用文献中已有的与超氧化物存在下的溶剂稳定性相关的经验和模拟结果来合成。新的阳极和阴极材料和催化剂将与项目(JM)中合成的改进电解液相结合进行制备和测试(JM)。重点还将放在优化新型电解质的阴极结构上，以实现更高的容量、电流密度和循环寿命(JM，Axeon)。将通过红外和拉曼光谱电化学技术了解新电解液在放电过程中的阴极反应、氧的还原和充电过程中的放氧(利物浦大学)，还将探索新型电解液中阳极界面的行为。该项目将应用不同项目合作伙伴提供的各种分析技术，包括XPS、ATR、电子显微镜和电化学测量。电池测试研究将调查各种参数、压力、温度、充电率、进气中二氧化碳和水杂质的影响以及可能的进气净化策略(JM、Axeon、AirProducts、JLR)。该项目的关键输出将是具有最佳电解液、电极材料和电极结构组合的优化单电池配置，并了解电化学以及阴极结构和测试参数对电池性能和循环性能的影响。这些数据有助于确定锂空气电池技术的可行性，并将为未来更大规模的监控系统的开发奠定坚实的基础。

This project is centred around the development of a practical lithium air battery single cell with improved performance. Theproject consortium includes Queens University Belfast and Liverpool University as academic partners and JohnsonMatthey, Axeon, JLR and Air Products as the industrial partners.The instability of existing electrolytes to superoxides is a major barrier to achieving good cycle life in current laboratoryscale Li-air cells, due to capacity fade as a result of the formation of irreversible species from solvent decomposition thatoccurs if current Lithium ion battery organic electrolytes are used. Therefore, significant effort will focus on synthesisingnovel electrolytes capable of surviving operation in Li-air batteries, where a large operational voltage window and immunityto degradation from superoxide attack are key features, combined with practical levels of oxygen solubility and ionicconductivity. Novel ionic liquid electrolytes and blends will be synthesised using the expertise at QUB and also drawing onempirical and modelling results already available in the literature, relating to solvent stability in the presence of superoxide.Novel anode and cathode materials and catalysts will be prepared and tested (JM) in combination with improvedelectrolytes synthesised in the project (JM). Emphasis will also be placed on optimising cathode structures for the novelelectrolytes to achieve improved capacity, current density and cycle life (JM, Axeon). Understanding the cathode reactionsoxygen reduction during discharge and oxygen evolution during charge with new electrolytes via iR and Ramanspectroelectrochemistry techniques will be undertaken (Liverpool University) and the behaviour at the anode interface inthe novel electrolytes will also be explored. The wide variety of analytical techniques available via the different projectpartners including XPS, ATR, electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements will be applied within the project.Cell testing studies will investigating the effects of various parameters, pressure, temperature , charge rate, the effect ofcarbon dioxide and water impurities in inlet air and possible inlet air clean up strategies also be considered (JM, Axeon, AirProducts, JLR).The key outputs from the project will be an optimised single cell configuration with the best electrolyte, electrode materialand electrode structure combination, accompanied by understanding of the electrochemistry and the effect of cathodestructure and test parameters on battery performance and cyclability. These data contribute toward establishing thefeasibility of lithium air battery technology and will lay a firm foundation for future development of larger scaledemonstration systems .