High Performance Air Breathing Flexible Lithium-Air Battery
Ahmad Jaradat1, Chengji Zhang1,2, Sachin Kumar Singh1
1Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|September 16, 2021
Summary
Researchers developed a flexible, wearable lithium-oxygen battery using InBr3 and MoS2. This battery demonstrates long cycle life in ambient air, paving the way for advanced electronics.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries offer high theoretical energy density, crucial for electronics and transportation.
- Challenges remain in achieving stable, long-cycle-life operation, especially in ambient conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and fabricate an inexpensive, flexible, and wearable Li-O2 battery.
- To enable long-cycle-life operation in various air conditions using a novel catalyst and membrane system.
Main Methods:
- Utilized InBr3 as a bifunctional redox mediator.
- Employed MoS2 as a cathode catalyst.
- Incorporated a Fomblin-based oxygen-permeable membrane.
- Tested battery performance in pure oxygen, dry air, and ambient air, including cycling and bending fatigue tests.
Main Results:
- The designed Li-O2 battery operated effectively in ambient air with an open, air-breathing architecture.
- Achieved excellent cycling performance up to 240 cycles at 1 A g-1 with 75% relative humidity.
- Demonstrated stable electrochemical performance, including deep-discharge capacity and rate capability, after 1000 bending cycles.
Conclusions:
- The developed flexible Li-O2 battery shows remarkable stability and performance in ambient air.
- The findings open new avenues for high-performance Li-O2 batteries in flexible and wearable electronics.
