Experimental Performance Evaluation of a Rechargeable Lithium-Air Battery Operating at Room Temperature

The effects of electrolyte, catalyst, and the process of preparation of the air-cathode on the performance of Li-air batteries were investigated. An ether based electrolyte was the best choice for Ketjen Black carbon based air cathodes and delivered high specific capacity (1050 mAh/gC) under dry air with cobalt oxide as catalyst. The introduction of an ultrasonication step in the air-cathode fabrication process improved the air-cathode microstructure. BET analyses revealed that the cathode has a higher surface area and mesopore volume when ultrasonication was used compared to those for the cathode fabricated without the ultrasonication step. With the optimized electrolyte and air-cathode, a high capacity of 2620 mAh/gC was obtained for Li-air batteries tested in dry air with a 0.1 mA/cm² current density.