Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Batteries and Fuel Cells

Batteries and Fuel Cells

A battery is a galvanic cell that is used as a source of electrical power for specific applications. Modern batteries exist in a multitude of forms to accommodate various applications, from tiny button batteries such as those that power wristwatches to the very large batteries used to supply backup energy to municipal power grids. Some batteries are designed for single-use applications and cannot be recharged (primary cells), while others are based on conveniently reversible cell reactions that...

Voltaic/Galvanic Cells

Voltaic/Galvanic Cells

Spontaneous Chemical Reactions
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...

Charging Conductors By Induction

Charging Conductors By Induction

The Earth is a good conductor of electricity, and it is so big that it can be considered an infinite source or sink of charges. It can easily exchange charges with any matter.
Generally, conductors like metals do not allow any excess charge to be present on them. Any excess charge added to metals easily flows away, for example, when a metal is placed on the Earth. This process is called earthing.
However, conductors can be charged by a process called induction. For example, consider charging a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Single-phase gradient-solvation-electrolyte-stabilized Li metal batteries.

Nature·2026

Same author

Li-air chemistry inspired electrodialysis for direct lithium carbonate production from seawater.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Metal-organic framework glass enables durable sodium-ion storage for hard carbon negative electrodes.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Advanced fluorine chemistry in >4.2 V high-voltage lithium metal batteries.

Chemical Society reviews·2026

Same author

Energy-Efficient Seawater Lithium Extraction via a Reversible Redox-Hydrogen Coupled System.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Current Collector Design Principle for Long-Cycling Aqueous Zinc Batteries With Minimal Anode Usage.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

Published on: August 5, 2015

Metal-air batteries: progress and perspective.

Yuhui Chen¹, Jijing Xu², Ping He³

¹State Key Laboratory of Materials-oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China.

Science Bulletin

|December 24, 2022

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Metal-air batteries like Li-air and Zn-air offer high energy density but face challenges. Research focuses on overcoming issues like metal dendrites and side reactions to improve battery performance.

Keywords:

Li-air battery Na-air/Zn-air battery Redox mediator Sealed/closed Li-O(2) battery Solid-state Li-air

More Related Videos

Fabrication of VB2/Air Cells for Electrochemical Testing

Fabrication of VB2/Air Cells for Electrochemical Testing

Published on: August 5, 2013

Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites

Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites

Published on: September 29, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 16, 2025

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

Ultrasound Velocity Measurement in a Liquid Metal Electrode

Published on: August 5, 2015

Fabrication of VB2/Air Cells for Electrochemical Testing

Fabrication of VB2/Air Cells for Electrochemical Testing

Published on: August 5, 2013

Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites

Zinc-Sponge Battery Electrodes that Suppress Dendrites

Published on: September 29, 2020

Area of Science:

Energy storage technologies
Electrochemistry
Materials science

Background:

Metal-air batteries, including lithium-air (Li-air/O2), lithium-carbon dioxide (Li-CO2), sodium-air (Na-air/O2), and zinc-air (Zn-air/O2), are recognized for their high theoretical energy densities.
These advanced battery systems present significant scientific hurdles, including metal dendrite formation, sluggish oxygen reduction/evolution reaction kinetics, high overpotentials, and parasitic side reactions involving air components (CO2, H2O).

Purpose of the Study:

To review recent research progress in various metal-air/O2 battery systems.
To identify and discuss the key scientific challenges hindering the performance of these batteries.
To provide perspectives on future research directions for improving metal-air/O2 battery technology.

Main Methods:

Literature review of recent advancements in metal-air/O2 battery research.
Analysis of common problems and limitations across different metal-air/O2 battery chemistries.
Synthesis of current research trends and future outlook.

Main Results:

Metal-air batteries face persistent issues such as dendrite growth, poor reaction kinetics, and unwanted side reactions.
These challenges significantly limit the practical energy density and cycle life of Li-air/O2, Li-CO2, Na-air/O2, and Zn-air/O2 systems.
Addressing these fundamental scientific problems is crucial for enhancing overall battery performance.

Conclusions:

Improving metal-air/O2 battery performance requires focused research on mitigating metal anode instability and optimizing cathode reaction mechanisms.
Future research should prioritize solutions for dendrite suppression, enhancing redox mediator kinetics, and minimizing side reactions with air components.
Continued investigation into these complex systems is essential for unlocking their potential as next-generation energy storage solutions.