Eco Trees

UK researchers at the University of St. Andrews are developing a rechargeable lithium-air battery that could offer 10X storage capacity compared to that of currently available lithium-ion cells.

Lithium-air batteries use a catalytic air cathode in combination with a lithium anode and an electrolyte. Oxygen from the air is the active material for the cathode and is reduced at the cathode surface. An issue with Li-air batteries can be the accumulation of solid reaction products on the electrode, which blocks the contact between electrolyte and air.

The project is focused on understanding more about how the chemical reaction of the battery works and investigating how to improve it. The research team is also working towards making a STAIR cell prototype suited, in the first instance, for small applications, such as MP3 players or mobile phones.

” The key is to use oxygen in the air as a re-agent, rather than carry the necessary chemicals around inside the battery. Our target is to get a five to ten fold increase in storage capacity, which is beyond the horizon of current lithium batteries. Our results so far are very encouraging and have far exceeded our expectations.” – declared Professor Peter Bruce of the Chemistry Department at the University of St Andrews, principal investigator.

The professor estimates that it will be at least five years before the STAIR cell is commercially available. The four-year research project “An O2 Electrode for a Rechargeable Lithium Battery” began on 1 July 2007 and is scheduled to end on 30 June 2011.

Source: Greencarcongress