Lithium Oxygen Battery Having Enhanced Anode Environment
An anode environment mitigates undesired effects of oxygen upon the anode of a lithium-oxygen electrochemical cell. As a means of mitigating oxygen effect, a lithium anode and an air cathode are separated from one another by a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte separator including material having low oxygen permeability that reduces the amount of oxygen that contacts the anode. As another means of mitigating oxygen effect, a cell comprises lithium-affinity anode material capable of receiving and retaining lithium in a state that is not significantly adversely affected by the presence of oxygen during cell charging and recharging and an air cathode separated by a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte separator. Lithium-affinity material is capable of drawing lithium thereinto during charging of the cell and retaining the lithium substantially until discharge of the cell. A cell having a lithium-affinity anode may also have a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte separator including material having low oxygen permeability.
1 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
a lithium anode and an air cathode separated from one another by a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte separator including material having low oxygen permeability.
2 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the lithium anode comprises substantially pure lithium metal.
3 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the lithium anode and the air cathode comprise binder material, lithium-ion-conductive material and electronically-conductive material.
4 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein the lithium anode includes at least one lithium-affinity material capable of receiving and retaining lithium in a state that is not significantly adversely affected by the presence of oxygen during cell charging and recharging.
5 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein said lithium-affinity material consist of one of silicon, aluminum and graphite.
6 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte separator comprises dense material having low oxygen permeability.
7 . The electrochemical cell of claim 1 , wherein said electrolyte separator comprises a film layer that comprises metal oxide, is lithium-ion conductive and has low oxygen permeability.
8 . An electrochemical cell comprising:
lithium-affinity anode material capable of receiving and retaining lithium in a state that is not significantly adversely affected by the presence of oxygen during cell charging and recharging and an air cathode separated by a lithium-ion-conductive electrolyte separator.
9 . The electrochemical cell of claim 8 , wherein at least one of said lithium-affinity anode and said air cathode comprise binder material, lithium-ion-conductive material and electronically-conductive material.
10 . The electrochemical cell of claim 9 , wherein said binder material and said lithium-ion-conductive material comprise the same material.
11 . The electrochemical cell of claim 8 , wherein said lithium-affinity anode consists of at least one of silicon, aluminum and graphite.
12 . The electrochemical cell of claim 8 , wherein said lithium-affinity anode comprises dense material having low oxygen permeability.
13 . The electrochemical cell of claim 8 , wherein said electrolyte separator comprises dense material having low oxygen permeability.
14 . The electrochemical cell of claim 8 , wherein said electrolyte separator comprises a film layer that comprises metal oxide, is lithium-ion conductive and has low oxygen permeability