Inorganic & organic materials for rechargeable Li batteries with multi-electron reaction

Abstract

Rechargeable Li batteries as electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices are continuously changing human life. In order to meet the increasing demand for energy and power den- sity, it is essential and urgent to exploit the electrode materials with high capacity and fast charge transfer (for Li-ion and Li-S batteries) and electrocatalysts with high activity (for recharge- able Li-O2 batteries). The high capacity is attributed to high electron transfer number and low molecular weight of the elec- trode materials. Combined with proper nanostructure design, the electronic transfer and ionic conductivity will be improved. This review summarizes recent efforts to apply electrode ma- terials for Li-ion batteries with multi-electron reaction, Li-S batteries, and efficient electrocatalysts for Li-O2 batteries. The methods to enhance the cycling and rate performance have been discussed in detail. Advanced rechargeable Li batteries with multi-electron reaction will become the research emphasis in the future.