Unleashing the potential of Li-O2 batteries with electronic modulation and lattice strain in pre-lithiated electrocatalysts.

Efficient catalysts are indispensable for overcoming the sluggish reaction kinetics and high overpotentials inherent in Li-O2 batteries. However, the lack of precise control over catalyst structures at the atomic level and limited understanding of the underlying catalytic mechanisms pose significant challenges to advancing catalyst technology. In this study, we propose the concept of precisely controlled pre-lithiated electrocatalysts, drawing inspiration from lithium electrochemistry. Our results demonstrate that Li+ intercalation induces lattice strain in RuO2 and modulates its electronic structure. These modifications promote electron transfer between catalysts and reaction intermediates, optimizing the adsorption behavior of Li-O intermediates. As a result, Li-O2 batteries employing Li0.52RuO2 exhibit ultrahigh energy efficiency, long lifespan, high discharge capacity, and excellent rate performance. This research offers valuable insights for the design and optimization of efficient electrocatalysts at the atomic level, paving the way for further advancements in Li-O2 battery technology.

Polyoxometalate Supported Single Transition Metal Atom as a Redox Mediator for Li-O2 Batteries.

Keggin-type polyoxometalate (POM) supported single transition metal (TM) atom (TM1/POM) as an efficient soluble redox mediator for Li-O2 batteries is comprehensively investigated by first-principles calculations. Among the pristine POM and four kinds of TM1/POM (TM = Fe, Co, Ni, and Pt), Co1/POM not only maintains good structural and thermodynamic stability in oxidized and reduced states but also exhibits promising electro(chemical) catalytic performance for both oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in Li-O2 batteries with the lowest Gibbs free energy barriers. Further investigations demonstrate that the moderate binding strength of Li2-xO2 (x = 0, 1, and 2) intermediates on Co1/POM guarantees favorable Li2O2 formation and decomposition. Electronic structure analyses indicate that the introduced Co single atom as an electron transfer bridge can not only efficiently improve the electronic conductivity of POM but also regulate the bonding/antibonding states around the Fermi level of [Co1/POM-Li2O2]ox. The solvent effect on the OER catalytic performance and the electronic properties of [Co1/POM-Li2O2]ox with and without dimethyl sulfoxide solvent are also investigated.

Enhancing the Stability of Metallic Li Anodes for Aprotic Li-O2 Batteries with Dual-Anion Electrolytes.

Despite the impressive specific capacity of Li-O2 batteries, challenges persist, particularly with lithium metal anode (LMA). These include dendritic growth and unstable solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layers, which become more pronounced in an oxygen-rich environment, a typical operation scenario for Li-O2 batteries. Herein, utilizing a hybrid dual anion electrolyte (DAE) strategy, which incorporates both inorganic LiNO3 and organic Li[(FSO2)(C2F5SO2)N] (LiFPFSI) salts, the dendritic growth is evidently inhibited by creating a "concrete-like" SEI structure. Simultaneously, it fosters the development of a fluorine-rich SEI layer. Consequently, a robust, compact, and stable barrier is formed, adeptly suppressing side reactions between LMA and the electrolyte, particularly those relevant to dissolved O2. The practicality and efficiency of this DAE strategy are validated across a variety of battery types including Li/Li, Li/Cu, and notably Li-O2 batteries, which showcased significantly improved reversibility and durability. These results underscore the important role of multifunctional salts in interphase engineering for LMA, which could lead to advancements in Li-O2 batteries.

Electrospinning-assisted porous skeleton electrolytes for semi-solid Li-O2 batteries.

Solid-state lithium-oxygen batteries offer great promise in meeting the practical demand for high-energy-density and safe energy storage. We have developed fibrous gel polymer electrolytes (GPEs) using a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) matrix via electrospinning. The 3D structure of GPEs enhances electrolyte absorption, while the interconnected design promotes strong interactions between Li+ and polar groups within the PAN matrix, thereby improving ion transport efficiency. In practical tests, both lithium symmetric cells and Li-O2 batteries demonstrated the ability to operate at high current densities over long cycles.

Covalent Organic Framework Fiber-Constructed Artificial Solid Electrolyte Interphase Layer: Facilitated Uniform Deposition of Li+ and Encapsulated Li Dendrite.

Due to ultrahigh theoretical capacity and ultralow redox poteneial, lithium metal is considered as a promising anode material. However, uneven lithium deposition, uncontrollable lithium dendrite formation, and fragile solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) lead to low lithium utilization, rapid capacity decay, and poor cycle performance. Herein, a robust artificial SEI film by coating the lithium surface with fibrous covalent organic framework (Fib-COF) was constructed, which effectively prevented dendrite penetration and battery short-circuits. Experimental results demonstrated that the Fib-COF-decorated batteries showcased higher Coulombic efficiency (CE), extended cycling stability, and superior electrolyte compatibility. The strong affinity of the carbonyl group in Fib-COF towards Li+ contributes to facilitating the Li+ uniform transfer and nucleation. In situ optical microscopy dynamically revealed the formation process of dendrite-free interphase under the function of Fib-COF layer. As a result, the modified Li anode demonstrated remarkable cycle stability for more than 650 h at 20 mA cm-2 and 5 mAh cm-2 in ether-based electrolyte and 1000 h at 0.5 mA cm-2 and 0.5 mAh cm-2 in carbonate-based electrolyte. The dendrite-free Fib-COF@Li electrodes endowed higher specific capacities of 650 mAh g-1 for Fib-COF@Li|S full cell after 250 cycles and 120 mAh g-1 for Fib-COF @Li|LiFePO4 full cells after 300 cycles.

Oxygen Radical Anion Substituted Iron Phthalocyanine as an Effective Redox Mediator for Li-O2 Batteries.

Transition metal phthalocyanines are potential soluble redox mediators for Li-O2 batteries. In this work, effective strategies to control the redox potentials and activities of iron phthalocyanine (FePc) based redox mediators are designed by the introduction of electron-withdrawing or electron-donating groups. Substituted electron-donating groups can shift the oxidation potential of FePc to a higher energy level, consequently reducing the charging voltage of Li-O2 batteries. Especially, oxygen radical anion (-O-) modified FePc (FePc-O-) shows the most significant improvement to the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of Li-O2 batteries. Electronic analysis indicates that -O- substitution can break the symmetry of electronic structures of FePc which further tunes the reduction of O2 and the oxidation of Li2O2. Detailed reaction mechanisms of (FePc-O-)-mediated Li-O2 batteries are proposed based on first-principles molecular dynamics simulations and thermodynamic free energy calculations.

Critical Factors Affecting the Catalytic Activity of Redox Mediators on Li-O2 Battery Discharge.

Redox mediators (RMs) have a substantial ability to govern oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in Li-O2 batteries, which can realize large capacity and high-rate capability. However, studies on understanding RM-assisted ORR mechanisms are still in their infancy. Herein, a quinone-based molecule, vitamin K1 (VK1), is first used as the ORR RM for Li-O2 batteries, together with 2,5-di-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DBBQ), to elucidate key factors on the catalytic activity of RMs. By combining experiments and first-principle computations, we demonstrate that the reduced VK1 has strong oxygen affinity and can effectively retard the deposition of Li2O2 films on the electrode surface, thereby guaranteeing enough active sites for electron transfer. Besides, the low reaction free energy of disproportionation of the Li(VK1)O2 intermediate into Li2O2 also significantly accelerates the ORR process. Consequently, the catalytic activity of VK1 is significantly boosted, and the discharge capacity of VK1-assisted batteries is 3.2-4.5 times that of DBBQ-assisted batteries. This study provides new insight for better understanding the working roles of RMs in Li-O2 batteries.

Redox mediators for high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries.

Aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries are receiving intense research interest by virtue of their ultra-high theoretical specific energy. However, current Li-O2 batteries are suffering from severe barriers, such as sluggish reaction kinetics and undesired parasitic reactions. Recently, molecular catalysts, i.e. redox mediators (RMs), have been explored to catalyse the oxygen electrochemistry in Li-O2 batteries and are regarded as an advanced solution. To fully unlock the capability of Li-O2 batteries, an in-depth understanding of the catalytic mechanisms of RMs is necessary. In this review, we summarize the working principles of RMs and their selection criteria, highlight the recent significant progress of RMs and discuss the critical scientific and technical challenges on the design of efficient RMs for next-generation Li-O2 batteries.