A Force‐Assisted Li−O₂ Battery Based on Piezoelectric Catalysis and Band Bending of MoS₂/Pd Cathode

Abstract

The high overpotential caused by the slow kinetics of oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution (OER) has greatly limited the practical application of lithium‐oxygen (Li−O2) batteries. The adoption of force‐field‐assisted system based on a newly developed piezocatalysis is promising in reducing the overpotential. Herein, a force‐assisted Li−O2 battery is first established by employing MoS2/Pd nanocomposite cathode, in which the piezoelectric polarization as well as built‐in electric field are formed in MoS2 piezoelectric catalyst under ultrasound activation, leading to the continuously separated electrons and holes to enhance the ORR and OER kinetics. Moreover, the introduction of Pd can promote the electrons transfer and further inhibit the complexation of electron–hole pairs, contributing to enhanced catalytic activity in the decomposition/generation of discharge products, resulting in reduced discharge/charge overpotentials. Thus, the force‐assisted MoS2/Pd‐based Li−O2 battery is capable of adjusting the output and input energies by the assisted ultrasonic wave. An ultra‐low charging platform of 2.86 V and a high discharging platform of 2.77 V are achieved. The proposed unique force‐assisted strategy can also be applied to lithium carbon dioxide battery system through the effective reduction and separation of CO2 and CO32−, providing significant insights in achieving efficient energy conversion for metal−air batteries.

Nanoengineering of Cathode Catalysts for Li–O2 Batteries

“…Apart from enhancing stability and tuning discharge product types, the electronic structure modulation of noble metal catalysts can effectively alter discharge pathways and regulate the morphology of discharge products. ,, The utilization of IrO 2 -modified δ-MnO 2 (IrO 2 /MnO 2 ) as a cathode catalyst in Li–O 2 batteries has been reported to alter the discharge reaction pathway . The synthesized IrO 2 /MnO 2 exhibited two-dimensional nanosheet morphologies, with the thickness of MnO 2 ranging between 5 and 10 nm (Figure c).…”

A Li–O2/CO2 battery based on bio-inspired engineering of the Bi2S3/PVP cathode

“…Since the industrial revolution, due to the consumption of fossil fuels, the rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide content due to industrialization, followed by the “greenhouse effect,” has had a serious impact on the human environment, especially climate changes. 1–10 Nowadays, the iterative update of power equipment puts forward more stringent requirements for energy storage systems, and the specific capacity of traditional lithium-ion batteries can no longer meet the actual development needs. The development of low-cost, high-energy, long-lived energy storage systems holds promise for the widespread use of renewable energy in power grids and cheap electric vehicles.…”

From Li–O2 to Li–Air Batteries: Challenges and Progress on Oxygen-Permeable Membranes

“…The energy density of LABs is highly tempting, comparable to that of gasoline (13 000 Wh kg –1 ), which means they have the great potential to drive electric vehicles over long distances on a single charge. Consequently, there has been a growing increase in research interest in this field in recent years. , However, although LABs offer an attractive option for achieving full electrification of transportation through chemical energy storage, they face numerous challenges in Earth’s atmosphere that hinder their practical application. − These challenges must be resolved before large-scale commercialization is possible.…”