A polymer electrolyte-based rechargeable lithium/oxygen battery

A novel rechargeable Li/O-2 battery is reported. It comprises a Li+ conductive organic polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched by a thin Li metal foil anode, and a thin carbon composite electrode on which oxygen, the electroactive cathode material, accessed from the environment, is reduced during discharge to generate electric power. It features an all solid state design in which electrode and electrolyte layers are laminated to form a 200 to 300 mu m thick battery cell. The overall cell reaction during discharge appears to be 2Li + O-2 --> Li2O2. It has an open-circuit voltage of about 3 V, and a load voltage that spans between 2 and 2.8 V depending upon the load resistance. The cell can be recharged with good coulombic efficiency using a cobalt phthalocyanine catalyzed carbon electrode.