Nonaqueous Lithium-Oxygen Battery

Hye Ryung Byon

Byon Initiative Research Unit (IRU), RIKEN, Japan

Development of advanced electrical vehicles is one of the most significant scientific and engineering duties in the clean-energy technology to cut pollution and global warming. The most difficulty to achieve the ideal advanced-electrical vehicles is to extend the driving range. Current plug-in hybrid vehicles suffer from the short driving range of approx. 150 − 200 km per charge, which is much shorter than the 450 − 600 km provided by gasoline-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. Achieving more than three times driving range, i.e., the energy density raised from the currently employed battery system is an exceptional challenge, because the current battery technology has almost reached its performance limitation. Accordingly, new battery systems using new chemistries and system configurations are needed, which are capable of achieving higher energy density than the current ones.

Nonaqueous lithium-oxygen (Li−O₂) batteries offer a theoretical energy density of ~11 kWh/kg, comparable to gasoline (theoretically ~13 kWh/kg, practically ~1.7 kWh/kg). However, the main drawbacks of Li−O₂ batteries developed so far have been poor cyclic performance, high polarization and low rate capability. This is due to some parasitic reactions in nonaqueous Li−O₂ batteries. Consequently, the scientific scrutiny to understand true electrochemical reaction in Li−O₂ batteries and to mitigate these unexpected reactions is significant in current stage, which can enhance the performance of Li−O₂ batteries. In this seminar, I present current research progress and challenge of Li−O₂ batteries and introduce recent works in Byon IRU.

Short Introduction to Dr. Hye Ryung Byon

Unit Leader in BYON Initiative Research Unit (IRU), RIKEN (理化学研究所)

Rm 631, Main Research Building, 2–1, Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351–0198, Japan

Homepage. http://www.riken.jp/byoniru

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Ÿ Energy storage system: Li–air (Li–O₂) battery, Li–S battery, redox flow battery and capacitor

Ÿ Electrocatalyst in electrochemistry: metal, metal oxide and non–noble metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction

Ÿ Nanoscience: Carbon nanotube, graphene and graphene quantum dot

SELECETED PUBLICATIONS

1. Zhao, Y.^¶; Hong, M.^¶; Mercier, N. B.; Yu, G.; Choi, H. C.; Byon, H. R.* “A 3.5 V lithium-iodine hybrid redox battery with vertically aligned carbon nanotube current collector”, Nano Lett. 2014, 14, 1085–1092. (^¶ equally contributed to this work)

2. Zhao, Y.; Byon, H. R.* “High-performance lithium-iodine flow battery”, Adv. Energy Mater. 2013, 3, 1630–1635. (selected as COVER PICTURE)

3. Yilmaz, E.; Yogi, C.; Yamanaka, K.; Ohta, T.; Byon, H. R.* “Promoting formation of noncrystalline Li₂O₂ in Li–O₂ battery with RuO₂ nanoparticles”, Nano Lett. 2013, 13, 4679–4684. (Highlighted in RIKEN RESEARCH)

4. Wen, R.; Hong, M.; Byon, H. R.* “In situ AFM imaging of Li–O₂ electrochemical reaction on HOPG with ether-based electrolyte”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 10870–10876. (Highlighted in RIKEN RESEARCH)

5. Zhao, Y.; Wang, L.; Byon, H. R.* “High-performance rechargeable lithium-iodine batteries using triiodide/iodide redox couples in an aqueous cathode”, Nature Communications 2013, 4, 1896. (Highlighted in RIKEN RESEARCH)

6. Lee, S. W.; Gallant, B.; Byon, H. R.; Hammond, P. T.; Shao-Horn, Y.* “Nanostructured carbon-based electrodes: Bridging the gap between thin-film lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors”, Energy Environ. Sci. 2011, 4, 114-130.

7. Byon, H. R.; Choi, H. C.* “Carbon nanotube guided formation of silicon oxide nanotrenches”, Nature Nanotechnology 2007, 2, 162-166.

8. Byon, H. R.; Choi, H. C.* “Network single walled carbon nanotube field effect transistors (SWNT-FETs) with increased Schottky contact area for highly sensitive biosensor applications”, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 2188-2189.

    

   SELECETED PATENTS AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

1. Zhao, Y.; Byon, H. R. “Novel cathode for use in battery and battery,” RIKEN, 2013/03/15 (Japan)

2. Shao-Horn, Y.; Hammond, P. T.; Lee, S. W.; Gallant, B. M.; Byon, H. R.; Hyder, N. “Carbon electrodes”, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2011/10/11, No. 13/270,533. (USA)

3. Choi, H. C.; Byon, H. R. “Method for etching of insulating layers using carbon nanotubes and formation of nanostructures thereafter”, POSTECH FOUNDATION and POSTECH ACADEMY-INDUSTRY, 2008/01/25, PCT/KR08/00486. (PCT)