Electrode materials for aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries

Abstract

In this review, we describe briefly the historical development of aqueous rechargeable lithium batteries, the advantages and challenges associated with the use of aqueous electrolytes in lithium rechargeable battery with an emphasis on the electrochemical performance of various electrode materials. The following materials have been studied as cathode materials: LiMn2O4, MnO2, LiNiO2, LiCoO2, LiMnPO4, LiFePO4, and anatase TiO2. Addition of certain additives like TiS2, TiB2, CeO2, etc. is found to increase the performance of MnO2 cathode. The following materials have been studied as anode materials: VO2 (B), LiV3O8, LiV2O5, LiTi2(PO4)3, TiP2O3, and very recently conducting polymer, polypyrrole (PPy). The cell PPy/LiCoO2, constructed using polypyrrole as anode delivers an average voltage of 0.86 V with a discharge capacity of 47.7 mA h g−1. It retains the capacity for first 120 cycles. The cell, LiTi2(PO4)3/1 M Li2SO4/LiMn2O4, delivers a capacity of 40 mA h g−1 and specific energy of 60 mW h g−1 with an output voltage of 1.5 V over 200 charge–discharge cycles. An aqueous lithium cell constructed using MWCNTs/LiMn2O4 as cathode material is found to exhibit more than 1,000 cycles with good rate capability.