Invited Paper EN-TuM3
Battery 500 - the Li-Air Battery Opportunity

Tuesday, November 1, 2011, 8:40 am, Room 108

In 2009, IBM started a project to develop rechargeable Li-air batteries for electric cars with a range of 500 miles per charge. This type of high density energy storage technology could become a game changer for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles but it also presents enormous technical challenges. Published work on Li-air batteries has only reported small fractions of the theoretical limit with limited rechargeability. Many aspects of the technology, including the lithium-oxygen electrochemistry, appear to have been poorly understood.

This presentation will give an overview of Li-air battery technology. We will describe our ongoing research including our investigation into the decomposition of carbonate based solvents during cell discharge using Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry, the characterization and identification of the cathode electrodeposits, and enhanced cell capacities achieved using alternative aprotic solvents.