Abstract
Li-air batteries have received much attention in the past several years because of their large theoretical specific energy density, stable output voltage, cost-effective, energy-efficient and pollution free, and have broad application prospects. If it is successfully developed, the battery could be an excellent energy storage device for renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and tidal energy, which brings a prospect for human to solve the problem of environment pollution and energy crisis. But the electrolyte is a crucial component of Li-air battery and the electrochemical performance of the battery is determined by electrolyte to a great extent. Due to the react violently between lithium and water, it is not practical for Li-air battery to use directly an aqueous electrolyte unless the anode can be protected from degradation. In this review, we presented the latest research progress on the non-aqueous electrolyte, i.e. organic electrolyte, ionic liquid and solid electrolyte. We elaborated the influence of solvents, and possible additives, and/or their combination Li-air battery’s performance. Finally, we provided insights into the prospect of non-aqueous electrolyte for Li-air battery.
Highlights
Energy and the environment are among the most important issues of the twenty-first century
As an indispensable component of electrolytes, Li salts must meet the prerequisites before being used in Li-air batteries [31]: 1) Li salts should be able to dissolve in solvents and reach a certain concentration to support fast Li+ ion transport; 2) anions must be stable under the required potentials; 3) anions should be inert to the solvent, and 4) anions should be stable against the cell components, such as the current collectors, separators, and the package
Solid-state electrolyte possesses a wide electrochemical window and is relatively stable in comparison with the organic liquid electrolyte counterpart. Another advantage of the solid-state electrolyte membrane is the non-permeability of humidity and CO2, preventing the Li foil anode from reacting with H2O and CO2 in air
Summary
Energy and the environment are among the most important issues of the twenty-first century. Several of these challenges are common to all lithium batteries, and if they could be solved, it would improve Li-ion batteries as well. The non-aqueous electrolytes for Li-air batteries in this perspective are exclusively focused on organic electrolytes, ionic liquids and solid-state electrolytes
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