A New Perspective on Li-SO2 Batteries for Rechargeable Systems

Hee-Dae Lim; Hyeokjun Park; Hyungsub Kim; Jinsoo Kim; Byungju Lee; Youngjoon Bae; Hyeokjo Gwon; Kisuk Kang

doi:10.1002/anie.201504306

A New Perspective on Li-SO2 Batteries for Rechargeable Systems

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2015 Aug 10;54(33):9663-7. doi: 10.1002/anie.201504306. Epub 2015 Jul 3.

Authors

Hee-Dae Lim¹, Hyeokjun Park¹, Hyungsub Kim¹, Jinsoo Kim¹, Byungju Lee¹, Youngjoon Bae¹, Hyeokjo Gwon², Kisuk Kang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Republic of Korea).
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon 305-701 (Republic of Korea).
³ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742 (Republic of Korea). matlgen1@snu.ac.kr.

PMID: 26140701
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201504306

Abstract

Primary Li-SO2 batteries offer a high energy density in a wide operating temperature range with exceptionally long shelf life and have thus been frequently used in military and aerospace applications. Although these batteries have never been demonstrated as a rechargeable system, herein, we show that the reversible formation of Li2S2O4, the major discharge product of Li-SO2 battery, is possible with a remarkably smaller charging polarization than that of a Li-O2 battery without the use of catalysts. The rechargeable Li-SO2 battery can deliver approximately 5400 mAh g(-1) at 3.1 V, which is slightly higher than the performance of a Li-O2 battery. In addition, the Li-SO2 battery can be operated with the aid of a redox mediator, exhibiting an overall polarization of less than 0.3 V, which results in one of the highest energy efficiencies achieved for Li-gas battery systems.

Keywords: Li-SO2 battery; catalysts; electrochemistry; rechargeability; sulfur dioxide.