The solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer is pivotal for the stable and rechargeable batteries especially under high rate. However, the mechanism of Li+ transport through the SEI has not been clearly...

The aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O 2 ) battery has excited huge interest due to its having the highest theoretical energy density among the different types of rechargeable battery. The facile achievement of a practical Li-O 2 battery has been proven unrealistic, however. The most significant barrier to progress is the limited understanding of the reaction processes occurring in the battery, especially during the charging process on the positive electrode. Thus, understanding the charging mechanism is of crucial importance to enhance the Li-O 2 battery performance and lifetime. Here, recent progress in understanding the electrochemistry and chemistry related to charging in Li-O 2 batteries is reviewed along with the strategies to address the issues that exist in the charging process at the present stage. The properties of Li 2 O 2 and the mechanisms of Li 2 O 2 oxidation to O 2 on charge are discussed comprehensively, as are the accompanied parasitic chemistries, which are considered as the underlying issues hindering the reversibility of Li-O 2 batteries. Based on the detailed discussion of the charging mechanism, innovative strategies for addressing the issues for the charging process are discussed in detail. This review has profound implications for both a better understanding of charging chemistry and the development of reliable rechargeable Li-O 2 batteries in the future.

We study the electrical conductance of gold nanoconstrictions by controlling the electrochemical potential. At positive potentials, the conductance is quantized near integer multiples of G0(2e(2)/h) as shown by well-defined peaks in the conductance histogram. Below a certain potential, however, additional peaks near 0.5G(0) and 1. 5G(0) appear in the histogram. The fractional conductance steps are as stable and well defined as the integer steps. The experimental data are discussed in terms of electrochemical-potential-induced defect scattering and Fermi energy shift, but a complete theory of the phenomenon is yet to be developed.