Solving the Singlet Oxygen Puzzle in Metal-O2 Batteries: Current Progress and Future Directions

Yaying Dou; Shuochao Xing; Zhang Zhang; Zhen Zhou

doi:10.1007/s41918-023-00201-w

Electrochemical Energy Reviews ›› 2024, Vol. 7 ›› Issue (1) DOI: 10.1007/s41918-023-00201-w

Review Article

Solving the Singlet Oxygen Puzzle in Metal-O₂ Batteries: Current Progress and Future Directions

Author information +

¹Interdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Energy Science and Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, Henan, China

²Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry, Nankai University, 300071, Tianjin, China

^d zhenzhou@zzu.edu.cn

Yaying Dou

received Ph.D. degree in 2021 from the College of Physics at Jilin University. During her doctoral studies, she joined the research group of Prof. Zhangquan Peng at Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry (CIAC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) where she received joint supervision. Now she is working at the School of Chemical Engineering in Zhengzhou University. Her research interest focuses on reaction mechanisms for metal-air batteries.

Shuochao Xing

obtained his B.S. degree from Shandong University of Science and Technology in 2021. Currently, he is a graduate student under the guidance of Prof. Zhen Zhou at Zhengzhou University. His research interest lies in rechargeable aprotic lithium-air batteries.

Zhang Zhang

received his Ph.D. degree in 2016 from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nankai University. He has been working at the School of Chemical Engineering of Zhengzhou University since 2021. His current research interest focuses on metal-air batteries.

Zhen Zhou

earned both his B.S. (in Applied Chemistry in 1994) and Ph.D. (in Inorganic Chemistry in 1999) degrees from Nankai University in China. He joined the faculty at Nankai University as a lecturer in 1999. Two years later, he began to work as a postdoctoral fellow at Nagoya University in Japan. He returned to Nankai University as an associate professor in 2005 and became a full professor in 2011. He moved to Zhengzhou University in China as a Distinguished Professor in 2021 and he is now Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering. His main research interest lies in the integration of high-throughput computations, experiments and machine learning for energy storage and conversion.

Show less

History +

PDF

Abstract

The development of aprotic alkali metal-oxygen batteries has shown promise due to their high theoretical specific energy, which is supported by the exergonic oxygen electrochemistry. However, practical realization of these batteries has been impeded by parasitic reactions that compromise their rechargeability, efficiency, and cycle life. Recent research has identified highly reactive singlet oxygen (¹O₂) as the main cause of degradation, which has led to a focus on understanding and harnessing this reactive species. This review provides a summary of current knowledge on the formation mechanisms of ¹O₂, identifies knowledge gaps that need to be addressed in the future, and discusses the implications of contaminants and battery components for ¹O₂ formation. The review also covers recent advances in deactivating and taming ¹O₂, and explains the mechanisms that underpin these strategies. We conclude with perspectives on the remaining challenges and future research opportunities in the field of ¹O₂-related (electro)chemistry in metal-oxygen batteries.

Graphical Abstract

Cite this article

Download citation ▾

Yaying Dou, Shuochao Xing, Zhang Zhang, Zhen Zhou. Solving the Singlet Oxygen Puzzle in Metal-O₂ Batteries: Current Progress and Future Directions. Electrochemical Energy Reviews, 2024, 7(1): DOI:10.1007/s41918-023-00201-w