Prof. Tao Liu’s Group of Tongji University Published an Article in Chemical Reviews on Li-Air Batteries

Prof. Liu Tao's group from the School of Chemical Science and Engineering in Tongji University has been working on the development of a range of energy storage and conversion devices, including lithium batteries, fuel cells and electrocatalysis. Recently, a review paper entitled "Current Challenges and Routes Forward for Nonaqueous Lithium–Air Batteries" was published on Chemical Reviews (IF=54.301), a top international journal in the field of chemistry. The paper was highlighted in ACS editor's choice, an honor given to only one article from the entire ACS portfolio each day of the year. Link: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00545

Figure 1. Summary of the paper content

Nonaqueous lithium–air batteries have garnered considerable attention over the past decade due to their high theoretical energy densities. In this review, Prof. Tao Liu, in collaboration with Prof. Clare P. Grey from Cambridge University and Prof Nuria Garcia-Araez from University of Southamption, critically analyzed the research progress of nonaqueous lithium–air batteries in the past 8 years and put forward their personal perspectives on the routes forward for the technology. In this review, the fundamental principle of the peroxide-based lithium-oxygen battery is described, with an emphasis on the mechanism of oxygen reduction and evolution reactions during cell discharge and charge. Then, the outstanding key issues of the battery and their potential solutions, such as solid catalysts, redox mediators, functional additives and lithium metal protections, are critically discussed and evaluated. Finally, the recently established novel cell chemistries based on the lithium superoxide, hydroxide and oxide phases are also summarized and discussed.

Figure 2. Schematic illustration of nonaqueous lithium–air battery

Prof. Liu joined Tongji University in 2019, he has been working in the field of electrocatalysis and batteries for several years, and has published over 30 papers, including Science, Nature, Chemical Reviews, Nature Materials, Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, Energy and Environmental Science. The group is recruiting overseas student/researchers for MSc, PhD and postdoctoral studies. Welcome to get in contact (via email: tliu@tongji.edu.cn).