Advanced metal-air battery having a ceramic membrane electrolyte

1. An air-metal battery comprising:

a cathode comprising a gas-diffusion layer that is hydrophobic but permeable to oxygen, and a reaction layer comprising one or more catalysts to reduce oxygen molecules during battery discharge and to produce oxygen molecules during battery recharge;

an alkali-metal-containing anode which is oxidized to produce alkali-metal ions;

an aqueous catholyte in ionic communication with the cathode;

a ion-selective membrane interposed between the alkali-metal containing anode and the aqueous catholyte, the ion-selective membrane being conductive to the alkali-metal ions while being impermeable to the aqueous catholyte;

an anolyte interposed between the alkali-metal-containing anode and the ion-selective membrane to conduct the alkali-metal ions; and

wherein the ion-selective membrane comprises a dense layer, impermeable to the aqueous catholyte, sandwiched between porous layers, wherein the porous layers comprise a material that is ion-selective and conductive to the alkali-metal ions.

2. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the porous layers provide strength and rigidity to the dense layer.

3. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the porous layers are infiltrated with the anolyte and catholyte, respectively.

4. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the one or more catalysts comprises a perovskite compound.

5. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the one or more catalysts comprises manganese, cobalt or oxides thereof.

6. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the alkali metal comprises at least one of Li, Na, and K.

7. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the ion-selective membrane comprises at least one of LiSICON and NaSICON.

8. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous catholyte is a separator material soaked in an aqueous catholyte solution.

9. The air-metal battery of claim 1 , wherein the dense and porous layers comprise the same alkali-metal ion conductive material.

10. A method for discharging and recharging an air-metal battery comprising:

oxidizing an alkali-metal-containing anode to produce alkali-metal ions;

transporting the alkali-metal ions through an anolyte interposed between the anode and an ion-selective membrane;

transporting the alkali-metal ions through an ion-selective membrane that is impermeable to water, wherein transporting the alkali-metal ions through an ion-selective membrane comprises transporting the alkali-metal ions through a dense layer, impermeable to the aqueous catholyte, sandwiched between porous layers, wherein the porous layers comprise a material that is ion-selective and conductive to the alkali-metal ions;

transporting the alkali-metal ions through an aqueous catholyte solution;

reducing oxygen molecules at a cathode to produce oxygen containing anions, wherein the cathode comprises a gas-diffusion layer that is hydrophobic but permeable to oxygen and a reaction layer containing one or more catalysts to reduce oxygen molecules during battery discharge and to produce oxygen molecules during battery recharge;

reacting the alkali-metal ions with the oxygen containing anions generated at the cathode to produce a reaction product; and

storing the reaction product as a solute dissolved in the aqueous catholyte solution.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the porous layers provide strength and rigidity to the dense layer.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the porous layers are infiltrated with the anolyte and catholyte, respectively.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more catalysts comprises a perovskite compound.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more catalysts comprises manganese, cobalt or oxides thereof.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkali-metal ions comprise at least one of Li, Na, and K ions.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the ion-selective membrane comprises at least one of LiSICON and NaSICON.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein transporting the alkali-metal ions through an aqueous catholyte solution comprises transporting the alkali-metal ions through a separator material soaked in an aqueous catholyte solution.

18. The air-metal battery of claim 10 , wherein the dense and porous layers comprise the same alkali-metal ion conductive material.

19. An air-metal battery comprising:

a cathode comprising a gas-diffusion layer that is hydrophobic but permeable to oxygen, and a reaction layer comprising one or more catalysts to reduce oxygen molecules during battery discharge to produce oxygen containing anions and to produce oxygen molecules during battery recharge;

an alkali-metal-containing anode which is oxidized to produce alkali-metal ions;

a catholyte solution in ionic communication with the cathode to conduct the alkali-metal ions and store, in the form of a dissolved solute, a reaction product produced by reacting the oxygen containing anions with the alkali-metal ions; and

an ion-selective membrane interposed between the alkali-metal containing anode and the catholyte solution, the ion-selective membrane being conductive to the alkali-metal ions while being impermeable to the catholyte solution, wherein the ion-selective membrane comprises a dense layer, impermeable to the catholyte solution, sandwiched between porous layers, wherein the dense and porous layers comprise a material that is ion-selective and conductive to the alkali-metal ions.

20. The air-metal battery of claim 19 , wherein the dense and porous layers comprise the same alkali-metal ion conductive material.