The rechargeable Li-air (or Li-O2) battery is receiving a great deal of interest because theoretically it can store significantly more energy than the conventional lithium ion batteries(1, 2). Since it was first introduced (3), much interest has been focused on the discharge and charge processes occurring in the Li-O2 system. In contrast to the conventional lithium ion batteries, the main discharge product of the Li-air cell is supposed to be lithium oxide. During electrochemical discharge, the lithium anode is oxidized by releasing an electron to the external circuit to produce lithium ions in the electrolyte, whereas the oxygen is reduced at a cathode surface to form, in the case of non-aqueous electrolytes, lithium peroxide (Li2O2) or lithium oxide (Li2O). During recharge the lithium oxide discharge products should be reconverted to lithium and oxygen.
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