Coupling Water‐Proof Li Anodes with LiOH‐Based Cathodes Enables Highly Rechargeable Lithium–Air Batteries Operating in Ambient Air
Lei Jiang, Zongyan Gao, Linbin Tang, Li Zhong, Junjian Li, Yue Zhang, Tao Liu
Abstract
Abstract Realizing an energy‐dense, highly rechargeable nonaqueous lithium–oxygen battery in ambient air remains a big challenge because the active materials of the typical high‐capacity cathode (Li 2 O 2 ) and anode (Li metal) are unstable in air. Herein, a novel lithium–oxygen full cell coupling a lithium anode protected by a composite layer of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP)/wax to a LiOH‐based cathode is constructed. The protected lithium is stable in air and water, and permits reversible, dendrite‐free lithium stripping/plating in a wet nonaqueous electrolyte under ambient air. The LiOH‐based full cell reaction is immune to moisture (up to 99% humidity) in air and exhibits a much better resistance to CO 2 contamination than Li 2 O 2 , resulting in a more consistent electrochemistry in the long term. The current approach of coupling a protected lithium anode with a LiOH‐based cathode holds promise for developing a long‐life, high‐energy lithium–air battery capable of operating in the ambient atmosphere.