A rechargeable Li-O2 battery using a lithium nitrate/N,N-dimethylacetamide electrolyte

J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Feb 13;135(6):2076-9. doi: 10.1021/ja311518s. Epub 2013 Feb 1.

Abstract

A major challenge in the development of rechargeable Li-O(2) batteries is the identification of electrolyte materials that are stable in the operating environment of the O(2) electrode. Straight-chain alkyl amides are one of the few classes of polar, aprotic solvents that resist chemical degradation in the O(2) electrode, but these solvents do not form a stable solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the Li anode. The lack of a persistent SEI leads to rapid and sustained solvent decomposition in the presence of Li metal. In this work, we demonstrate for the first time successful cycling of a Li anode in the presence of the solvent, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), by employing a salt, lithium nitrate (LiNO(3)), that stabilizes the SEI. A Li-O(2) cell containing this electrolyte composition is shown to cycle for more than 2000 h (>80 cycles) at a current density of 0.1 mA/cm(2) with a consistent charging profile, good capacity retention, and O(2) detected as the primary gaseous product formed during charging. The discovery of an electrolyte system that is compatible with both electrodes in a Li-O(2) cell may eliminate the need for protecting the anode with a ceramic membrane.

MeSH terms

  • Acetamides / chemistry*
  • Electric Power Supplies*
  • Electrolytes / chemistry
  • Lithium / chemistry*
  • Nitrates / chemistry*
  • Oxygen / chemistry*

Substances

  • Acetamides
  • Electrolytes
  • Nitrates
  • Lithium
  • dimethylacetamide
  • Oxygen