Synthesis, Characterization and Performance Evaluation of an Advanced Solid Electrolyte and Air Cathode for Rechargeable Lithium-Air Batteries

Synthesis and characterization of a tri-layered solid electrolyte and oxygen permeable solid air cathode for lithium-air battery cells were carried out in this investigation. Detailed fabrication procedures for solid electrolyte, air cathode and real-world lithium-air battery cell are described. Materials characterizations were performed through FTIR and TGA measurement. Based on the experimental four-probe conductivity measurement, it was found that the tri-layered solid electrolyte has a very high conductivity at room temperature, 23。C, and it can be reached up to 6 times higher at 100。C. Fabrication of real-world lithium-air button cells was performed using the synthesized tri-layered solid electrolyte, an oxygen permeable air cathode, and a metallic lithium anode. The lithium-air button cells were tested under dry air with 0.1 mA - 0.2 mA discharge/ charge current at elevated temperatures. Experimental results showed that the lithium-air cell performance is very sensitive to the oxygen concentration in the air cathode. The experimental results also revealed that the cell resistance was very large at room temperature but decreased rapidly with increasing temperatures. It was found that the cell resistance was the prime cause to show any significant discharge capacity at room temperature. Experimental results suggested that the lack of robust interfacial contact among solid electrolyte, air cathode and lithium metal anode were the primary factors for the cell’s high internal resistances. It was also found that once the cell internal resistance issues were resolved, the discharge curve of the battery cell was much smoother and the cell was able to discharge at above 2.0 V for up to 40 hours. It indicated that in order to have better performing lithium-air battery cell, interfacial contact resistances issue must have to be resolved very efficiently.

Sourcing the merits of 3D integrated air cathodes for highperformance Zn-air batteries by bubble pump consumption chronoamperometry

Zn-air batteries(ZABs)as a potential energy conversion system suffer from low power density(typically≤200 mW·cm^(−2)).Recently,three-dimensional(3D)integrated air cathodes have demonstrated promising performance over traditional twodimensional(2D)plane ones,which is ascribed to enriched active sites and enhanced diffusion,but without experimental evidence.Herein,we applied a bubble pump consumption chronoamperometry(BPCC)method to quantitatively identify the gas diffusion coefficient(D)and effective catalytic sites density(ρEC)of the integrated air cathodes for ZABs.Furthermore,the D andρEC values can instruct consequent optimization on the growth of Co embedded N-doped carbon nanotubes(CoNCNTs)on carbon fiber paper(CFP)and aerophilicity tuning,giving 4 times D and 1.3 timesρEC over the conventional 2D Pt/C-CFP counterparts.As a result,using the CoNCNTs with half-wave potential of merely 0.78 V vs.RHE(Pt/C:0.89 V vs.RHE),the superaerophilic CoNCNTs-CFP cathode-based ZABs exhibited a superior peak power density of 245 mW·cm^(−2) over traditional 2D Pt/C-CFP counterparts,breaking the threshold of 200 mW·cm^(−2).This work reveals the intrinsic feature of the 3D integrated air cathodes by yielding exact D andρEC values,and demonstrates the feasibility of BPCC method for the optimization of integrated electrodes,bypassing trial-and-error strategy.

Carbon-based cathode materials for rechargeable zinc-air batteries: From current collectors to bifunctional integrated air electrodes

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries(ZABs)have attracted much attention as the next-generation energy conversion and storage devices due to the abundance and environmental friendliness of zinc(Zn)for anode materials,as well as the safety and low cost of aqueous electrolytes.However,rational design of nonprecious and low-cost integrated air cathode materials with a desirable bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic performance remains a great challenge for the commercialization of rechargeable ZABs.In previous research studies,various cost-effective carbon-supported electrocatalysts and light-weight carbon-based current collectors for air cathodes have been developed,showing vast potential in the application of carbon-based materials.To improve the bifunctional performance and integration of air cathodes,efforts with respect to the design of morphology,defects,and synergistic effects of carbon-based materials have been made.In this perspective,the general understanding of the air cathode construction and the battery working mechanism is discussed.The recent progress in the design of carbon-based materials for air cathodes in rechargeable ZABs is summarized.Several possible future research directions and the expected development trends are also discussed,aiming to facilitate the commercialization of advanced rechargeable ZABs in our life.

Effect of current density on groundwater arsenite removal performance using air cathode electrocoagulation

Naturally occurring arsenic enrichment in groundwater poses a huge threat to human health.Air cathode electrocoagulation(ACEC)has recently been proposed to enhance As(Ⅲ)oxidation and lower energy consumption.In this study,ACEC,EC/O_(2) and EC/N_(2) were evaluated with different current densities from 1 to 8 mA/cm^(2) to investigate the effect on As(Ⅲ)removal in different redox environments.Current density had no appreciable effect on arsenic removal efficiency given the same charge in ACEC because the concentration ratio of Fe/H2O_(2) under different current densities remained stable.However,in EC/O_(2) and EC/N_(2),As(Ⅲ)removal was inhibited at higher current densities(4–8 mA/cm^(2)),likely because more Fe(Ⅱ)competed with As(Ⅲ)for the oxidant,leading to less effective oxidation of As(Ⅲ).In all EC systems,the$OH units generated per power consumption reached the highest value at the lowest current density.Compared with other EC systems,the ACEC system showed lower energy consumption at all current densities due to the low energy consumption of the electrode reaction and more free radical generation.A lower current density saved more energy at the expense of time,showing the trade-off relationship between energy consumption and removal time.The operation costs for As(Ⅲ)removal under optimal conditions were calculated as 0.028$/m^(3) for ACEC,0.030$/m^(3) for EC/O_(2),and 0.085$/m^(3) for EC/N_(2)

A comprehensive review on recent progress in aluminum-air batteries

The aluminum-air battery is considered to be an attractive candidate as a power source for electric vehicles(EVs) because of its high theoretical energy density(8100 Wh kg^(-1)), which is significantly greater than that of the state-of-the-art lithium-ion batteries(LIBs). However,some technical and scientific problems preventing the large-scale development of Al-air batteries have not yet to be resolved. In this review, we present the fundamentals, challenges and the recent advances in Al-air battery technology from aluminum anode, air cathode and electrocatalysts to electrolytes and inhibitors. Firstly, the alloying of aluminum with transition metal elements is reviewed and shown to reduce the selfcorrosion of Al and improve battery performance. Additionally for the cathode, extensive studies of electrocatalytic materials for oxygen reduction/evolution including Pt and Pt alloys, nonprecious metal catalysts, and carbonaceous materials at the air cathode are highlighted.Moreover, for the electrolyte, the application of aqueous and nonaqueous electrolytes in Al-air batteries are discussed. Meanwhile, the addition of inhibitors to the electrolyte to enhance electrochemical performance is also explored. Finally, the challenges and future research directions are proposed for the further development of Al-air batteries.

Recent progress in rechargeable alkali metal-air batteries

Rechargeable alkali metal-air batteries are considered as the most promising candidate for the power source of electric vehicles(EVs) due to their high energy density. However, the practical application of metal-air batteries is still challenging. In the past decade, many strategies have been purposed and explored, which promoted the development of metal-air batteries. The reaction mechanisms have been gradually clarified and catalysts have been rationally designed for air cathodes. In this review, we summarize the recent development of alkali metal-air batteries from four parts: metal anodes, electrolytes, air cathodes and reactant gases, wherein we highlight the important achievement in this filed. Finally problems and prospective are discussed towards the future development of alkali metal-air batteries.

Performance of Sewage Sludge Treatment and Electricity Generation by Different Configuration Microbial Fuel Cells

This paper compared the degradation efficiency of sludge organic matters and electric-production by two typical microbial fuel cells——dual-chamber microbial fuel cell(DMFC)and single chamber air cathode microbial fuel cell(SAMFC),and the variations of sludge protein,polysaccharide and ammonia nitrogen within the systems were also investigated.The results showed that the concentration of sludge soluble chemical oxygen demand,protein and carbohydrate of DMFC are higher than these of SAMFC during the systems operation,while DMFC can achieve a better ammonia nitrogen removal than SAMFC.Under the same operation condition,the stable voltage output of DMFC and SAMFC is 0.61 V and 0.37 V;the maximum power density of DMFC and SAMFC is 2.79 W/m3and 1.25 W/m3;TCOD removal efficiency of DMFC and SAMFC is 34.14%and 28.63%for 12 d,respectively.Meanwhile,DMFC has a higher coulomb efficiency than SAMFC,but both are less than5%.The results showed that DMFC present a better performance on sludge degradation and electric-production.

Recent progress and future perspectives of flexible metal‐air batteries

With the rapid development of wearable and intelligent flexible electronic devices(FEDs),the demand for flexible energy storage/conversion devices(ESCDs)has also increased.Rechargeable flexible metal‐air batteries(MABs)are expected to be one of the most ideal ESCDs due to their high theoretical energy density,cost advantage,and strong deformation adaptability.With the improvement of the device design,material assemblies,and manufacturing technology,the research on the electrochemical performance of flexible MABs has made significant progress.However,achieving the high mechanical flexibility,high safety,and wearable comfortability required by FEDs while maintaining the high performance of flexible MABs are still a daunting challenge.In this review,flexible Zn‐air and Li‐air batteries are mainly exemplified to describe the most recent progress and challenges of flexible MABs.We start with an overview of the structure and configuration of the flexible MABs and discuss their impact on battery performance and function.Then it focuses on the research progress of flexible metal anodes,gel polymer electrolytes,and air cathodes.Finally,the main challenges and future research perspectives involving flexible MABs for FEDs are proposed.

Recent advances in bifunctional catalysts for zinc-air batteries:Synthesis and potential mechanisms

Zinc-air batteries(ZABs) are considered promising candidates for next-generation clean and sustainable energy storage devices because of their low cost, safety, environment-friendliness, and high specific energy density. However, owing to its poor chargedischarge capacity and low efficiency, its practical application remains challenging. The main obstacles are the intrinsic slow reaction kinetics on the air cathode, including the oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) during discharging and oxygen evolution reaction(OER) during recharging. Therefore, a reasonable design of bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts with high activity and stability is the key to the development of ZABs. In this review, the recent advances in bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts as air cathodes in ZABs are discussed from three perspectives: metal-organic framework-based catalysts, metal-free carbon catalysts, and metal-based catalysts. In particular, the synthesis, electrocatalytic activity, and potential mechanism of bifunctional catalysts in ZABs are discussed. In recent years, research on bifunctional catalysts has intensified, and the performance of these catalysts has significantly improved. However, most of the experimental products have complex preparation processes and high costs;therefore, the industrialization of these experimental products remains difficult. This review offers prospects for the optimal design of high-activity rechargeable ZAB bifunctional air cathodes.