Premium
Why Do Lithium–Oxygen Batteries Fail: Parasitic Chemical Reactions and Their Synergistic Effect
Author(s) -
Yao Xiahui,
Dong Qi,
Cheng Qingmei,
Wang Dunwei
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201601783
Subject(s) - lithium (medication) , anode , chemical reaction , oxygen , electrolyte , cathode , electrochemistry , chemical energy , chemistry , redox , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , materials science , inorganic chemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , biology , endocrinology , engineering
As an electrochemical energy‐storage technology with the highest theoretical capacity, lithium–oxygen batteries face critical challenges in terms of poor stabilities and low charge/discharge round‐trip efficiencies. It is generally recognized that these issues are connected to the parasitic chemical reactions at the anode, electrolyte, and cathode. While the detailed mechanisms of these reactions have been studied separately, the possible synergistic effects between these reactions remain poorly understood. To fill in the knowledge gap, this Minireview examines literature reports on the parasitic chemical reactions and finds the reactive oxygen species a key chemical mediator that participates in or facilitates nearly all parasitic chemical reactions. Given the ubiquitous presence of oxygen in all test cells, this finding is important. It offers new insights into how to stabilize various components of lithium–oxygen batteries for high‐performance operations and how to eventually materialize the full potentials of this promising technology.