Catalytic cathode for a lithium-oxygen battery

1. A metal-air battery comprising:

an anode;

a low-dimensional catalyst cathode; and

an electrolyte comprising a salt and an aprotic solvent;

wherein:

the low-dimensional catalyst cathode comprises a functional metal layer on a carbon support wherein the functional metal layer comprises Cr, Cu, Ag, Au, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;

a catalyst layer at least partially overlaying the functional metal layer;

the catalyst layer comprises Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof;

the aprotic solvent comprises an ether-based solvent, a fluorinated ether-based solvent, an oligo (ethylene oxide) solvent, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; and

the electrolyte is free of carbonate solvents.

2. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst layer comprises Ni, Pd, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

3. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the functional metal layer comprises Cr or Au, and the catalyst layer comprises Pt.

4. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the low-dimensional catalyst cathode is a 2D catalyst cathode.

5. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the low-dimensional catalyst cathode is a 0D catalyst cathode.

6. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the functional metal layer and the catalyst layer are deposited by a thin film deposition method, wherein a transverse dimension of the functional metal layer is about 1 nm to about 5 nm functional layer, and a transverse dimension of the catalyst layer is about 2 nm to about 20 nm.

7. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the carbon support comprises synthetic graphite, natural graphite, amorphous carbon, hard carbon, soft carbon, acetylene black, mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB), carbon black, Ketjen black, mesoporous carbon, a porous carbon matrix, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, or a mixture of any two or more thereof.

8. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, or zinc.

9. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte further comprises a lithium salt.

10. The metal-air battery of claim 1 , wherein the aprotic solvent comprises glyme, diglyme, tetrahydrofuran, tetraethylene glycol dimethylether, tri(ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, ethylene glycol-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, di(ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, triethyl phosphate, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, methoxybenzene, or an ionic liquid.

11. The metal-air battery of claim 10 , wherein the aprotic solvent comprises tetraethylene glycol dimethylether, tri (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, ethylene glycol-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, or di (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane.

12. The metal-air battery of claim 11 , wherein the aprotic solvent comprises tri (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, ethylene glycol-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, or di (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane.

13. The metal-air battery of claim 1 that is a lithium-air battery.

14. A low-dimensional catalyst cathode comprising a catalyst layer overlaying a functional metal layer on a carbon support, wherein:

the low-dimensional catalyst cathode is a 2D or 0D catalyst cathode;

the functional metal layer comprises Cr, Cu, Ag, Au, or a mixture of any two or more thereof;

the catalyst layer comprises Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

15. A method of forming a low-dimensional catalyst for an air cathode, the method comprising:

selecting a catalyst layer material and a functional metal layer material, wherein

the functional metal layer material dewets the catalyst layer material;

depositing the functional metal layer material on a carbon support; and

depositing the catalyst layer material on at least a portion of the functional metal layer material on the carbon support;

wherein:

the functional metal layer comprises Ag, Au, or a mixture thereof;

the catalyst layer comprises Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the catalyst layer comprises Pd, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof.