Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition
Lithium–air batteries (LABs) possess the highest energy density among all energy storage systems, and have drawn widespread interest in academia and industry. However, many arduous challenges are still to be conquered, one of them is Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, which is a u...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| author | Zixuan Liu Haoshen Huang Zhengfei Chen Haiyong He Deyu Wang Zhoupeng Li |
| author_facet | Zixuan Liu Haoshen Huang Zhengfei Chen Haiyong He Deyu Wang Zhoupeng Li |
| author_sort | Zixuan Liu |
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| description | Lithium–air batteries (LABs) possess the highest energy density among all energy storage systems, and have drawn widespread interest in academia and industry. However, many arduous challenges are still to be conquered, one of them is Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, which is a ubiquitous product in LABs. It is inevitably produced but difficult to decompose; therefore, Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> is perceived as the “Achilles’ heel of LABs”. Among various approaches to addressing the Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> issue, developing Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>-decomposing redox mediators (RMs) is one of the most convenient and versatile, because they can be electrochemically oxidized at the gas cathode surface, then they diffuse to the solid-state products and chemically oxidize them, recovering the RMs to a pristine state and avoiding solid-state catalysts’ contact instability with Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. Furthermore, because of their function mechanism, they can double as catalysts for Li<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>/LiOH decomposition, which are needed in LABs/LOBs anyway regardless of Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> incorporation due to the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction/evolution reactions. This review summarizes the progress in Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>-decomposing RMs, including halides, metal–chelate complexes, and metal-free organic compounds. The insights into and discrepancies in the mechanisms of Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> decomposition and corresponding catalysis processes are also discussed. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
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| series | Inorganics |
| spelling | doaj-art-61ec57cee84a4d078add4f2fd2d831892025-06-25T13:58:02ZengMDPI AGInorganics2304-67402025-06-0113619210.3390/inorganics13060192Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> DecompositionZixuan Liu0Haoshen Huang1Zhengfei Chen2Haiyong He3Deyu Wang4Zhoupeng Li5School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, 2nd Street 928, Xiasha Higher Education Park, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaSchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, 2nd Street 928, Xiasha Higher Education Park, Hangzhou 310018, ChinaSchool of Biological and Chemical Engineering, NingboTech University, South Qianhu Road 1, Ningbo 315101, ChinaNingbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, West Zhongguan Road 1219, Ningbo 315201, ChinaSchool of Optoelectronic Materials & Technology, Jianghan University, Wuhan 430056, ChinaCollege of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, ChinaLithium–air batteries (LABs) possess the highest energy density among all energy storage systems, and have drawn widespread interest in academia and industry. However, many arduous challenges are still to be conquered, one of them is Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>, which is a ubiquitous product in LABs. It is inevitably produced but difficult to decompose; therefore, Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> is perceived as the “Achilles’ heel of LABs”. Among various approaches to addressing the Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> issue, developing Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>-decomposing redox mediators (RMs) is one of the most convenient and versatile, because they can be electrochemically oxidized at the gas cathode surface, then they diffuse to the solid-state products and chemically oxidize them, recovering the RMs to a pristine state and avoiding solid-state catalysts’ contact instability with Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>. Furthermore, because of their function mechanism, they can double as catalysts for Li<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>/LiOH decomposition, which are needed in LABs/LOBs anyway regardless of Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> incorporation due to the sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction/evolution reactions. This review summarizes the progress in Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub>-decomposing RMs, including halides, metal–chelate complexes, and metal-free organic compounds. The insights into and discrepancies in the mechanisms of Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> decomposition and corresponding catalysis processes are also discussed.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/13/6/192Li–air batteriesLi–O<sub>2</sub> batteriesLi–CO<sub>2</sub> batteriesLi<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> decompositionredox mediatorhalides |
| spellingShingle | Zixuan Liu Haoshen Huang Zhengfei Chen Haiyong He Deyu Wang Zhoupeng Li Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition Inorganics Li–air batteries Li–O<sub>2</sub> batteries Li–CO<sub>2</sub> batteries Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> decomposition redox mediator halides |
| title | Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition |
| title_full | Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition |
| title_fullStr | Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition |
| title_full_unstemmed | Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition |
| title_short | Redox Mediators for Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> Decomposition |
| title_sort | redox mediators for li sub 2 sub co sub 3 sub decomposition |
| topic | Li–air batteries Li–O<sub>2</sub> batteries Li–CO<sub>2</sub> batteries Li<sub>2</sub>CO<sub>3</sub> decomposition redox mediator halides |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/13/6/192 |
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