Abstract
A wide range catalyst screening with noble metal and oxide catalysts for a metal–air battery with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte was carried out. Suitable catalysts reduce overpotentials during the charge and discharge process, and therefore improve the round-trip efficiency of the battery. In this case, the electrodes will be used as optimized cathodes for a future lithium–air battery with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte. Oxide catalysts were synthesized via atmospheric plasma spraying. The screening showed that IrO2, RuO2, La0.6Ca0.4Co3, Mn3O4, and Co3O4 are promising bi-functional catalysts. Considering the high price for the noble metal catalysts further investigations of the oxide catalysts were carried out to analyze their electrochemical behavior at varied temperatures, molarities, and in case of La1−x Ca x CoO3 a varying calcium content. Additionally all catalysts were tested in a longterm test to proof cyclability at varied molarities. Further investigations showed that Co3O4 seems to be the most promising bi-functional catalyst of the tested oxide catalysts. Furthermore, it was shown that a calcium content of x = 0.4 in LCCO has the best performance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
International Energy Outlook (2011) U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)
Co2Now. www.co2now.org. Accessed 21 May 2013
Girishkumar G, McCloskey B, Luntz AC, Swanson S, Wilcke W (2010) J Phys Chem Lett 1:2193
Padbury R, Zhang X (2011) J Power Sources 196:4436
Linden D, Reddy TB (2002) Handbook of batteries, 3rd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 38–46
Jörissen L (2006) J Power Sources 155:23
Song M, Park S, Alamgir FM, Cho J, Liu M (2011) Mater Sci Eng 72:203
Lu Y, Gasteiger HA, Parent MC, Chiloyan V, Shao-Horn Y (2010) Electrochem Solid-State Lett 13:A69
Lee CK, Striebel KA, McLarnon FR, Cairns EJ (1997) J Electrochem Soc 144:3801
Ohkuma H, Uechi I, Imanishi N, Hirano A, Takeda Y, Yamaoto O (2013) J Power Sources 223:319
Fukiwara N, Yao M, Siroma Z, Senoh H, Ioroi T, Yasada K (2011) J Power Sources 196:808
Chang Y, Wu P, Hsieh Y (2009) J Power Sources 189:1003
Neburchilov V, Wang H, Martin JJ, Qu W (2010) J Power Sources 195:1271
Nikolova V, Iliev P, Petrov K, Vitanov T, Zhecheva E, Stoyanova R, Valov I, Stoychev D (2008) J Power Sources 185:727
Visco S, Nimon E, Katz B, Chu M, Jonghe L (2012) Abstract #1156. Honolulu PRiME 2012, ECS
Zhang T, Nobuyuki A (2008) J Electrochem Soc 155:A965
Shimonishi Y, Zhang T, Imanishi N, Im D, Lee DJ, Hirano A, Takeda Y, Yamamoto O, Sammes N (2011) J Power Sources 196:5128
Fauchais P (2004) J Phys D Appl Phys 37:R86
Dinkelacker M (1989) PhD Thesis, University of Stuttgart
Kahoul A, Hammouche A, Naamoune F, Chartier P, Poillerat G, Koenig JF (2000) Mater Res Bull 35(12):1955
Kwon J, Dai M, Halls MD, Langereis E, Chabal YJ, Gordon RG (2009) J Phys Chem C 113:654
Zhuang S, Liu S (2012) Int J Electrochem Sci 7:338
Kononyk IF, Tolochko SP, Lutsko VA, Anishchik VM (1983) J Solid State Chem 48:209
He P, Wang Y, Zhou H (2011) J Power Sources 196:5611
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for funding this study. This study is part of the “LuftLi – Strom aus Luft und Lithium” project (FKZ:03X4624C).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wittmaier, D., Danner, T., Wagner, N. et al. Screening and further investigations on promising bi-functional catalysts for metal–air batteries with an aqueous alkaline electrolyte. J Appl Electrochem 44, 73–85 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0602-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0602-x