Nanocatalytic Rechargeable Lithium Air Cathodes

The Li/O2 battery has potentially the highest energy density of any Li system, theoretically & gt;10 4Wh/kg. However, rapid passivation of the cathode matrix during discharge has precluded reaching anything near that value, and electrolyte oxidation during discharge by reactive reduced oxygen intermediates continues to be problematic. We are proposing a novel cathode structure consisting of graphene coated with a bifunctional oxygen catalyst. The extremely high electrochemically accessible surface area of graphene is expected to accommodate much more insulating discharge products that traditional carbons and avoid the passivation problem. The cathode will also have a non-carbonate electrolyte that has shown exceptional anodic stability up to 6 volts vs. Li. The ionic separator will be a gelled polymer electrolyte made of polyethylene oxide containing the same electrolyte. We believe that this cell configuration mitigates the problems associated with using liquid electrolytes in Li-Air cells and also, resulting in a very high energy density. Efficient rechargeability of the new components will be demonstrated in complete thin layer pouch cells. Commercial applications and other benefits: Successful development of rechargeable Li/Air cells would revolutionize the multi-billion dollar battery industry. Commercial applications include electric and hybrid electric vehicles, large scale grid energy storage, load leveling in solar and wind applications, and a broad sp ectrum of commercial power applications (cell phones, portable computers, power tools, cameras, etc.) Military and aerospace applications include remote power, warfighter power, weapons and aircraft electrical systems.