Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Examined Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance and Electrochemical Methods in Non-Aqueous Li-O2 Batteries

The Lithium-Oxygen battery is one of the most promising battery technologies being researched, it is also one of the more challenging ones due to the various problems associated with the battery. One of these problems is the poor understanding of the reaction occurring during oxygen reduction and evolution. It is known that the intermediates of the reaction are highly reactive and take part in unwanted side reactions. It is also known that the oxygen reduction products are poorly soluble in the electrolyte.

This study sets out to further examine these effects. Qualitatively these aspects are somewhat known but quantitatively the answer is less straight forward. By combining a Quartz Crystal Microbalance with electrochemical techniques the mass, current and voltage can be measured simultaneously to help shed further light on the species solubility and occurrence of side reactions. Obtaining this information about the chemical nature of the species formed will serve as a well needed compliment to the more frequently used surface characterization methods used when trying to determine the reactions occurring at the oxygen electrode.