Cathode for lithium-air battery, method of manufacturing the same, and lithium-air battery comprising the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9356295-B2
Application number	US-201313966370-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 14, 2013
Priority date	Apr 22, 2013
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

This invention relates to a cathode for a lithium-air battery, a method of manufacturing the same and a lithium-air battery including the same. The method of manufacturing the cathode for a lithium-air battery includes 1) stirring a cobalt salt, triethanolamine and distilled water, thus preparing a cobalt solution, 2) electroplating the cobalt solution on a porous support, thus preparing a cobalt plated porous support, 3) reacting the cobalt plated porous support with a mixture solution including oxalic acid, water and ethanol, thus forming cobalt oxalate on the porous support, and 4) thermally treating the cobalt oxalate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a cathode for a lithium-air battery, comprising:
1) stirring a cobalt salt, triethanolamine and distilled water, thus preparing a cobalt solution;
2) electroplating the cobalt solution on a porous support, thus preparing a cobalt plated porous support;
3) reacting the cobalt plated porous support with a mixture solution comprising oxalic acid, water and ethanol, thus forming cobalt oxalate on the porous support; and
4) thermally treating the cobalt oxalate.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling a product obtained in 4).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the cobalt salt is 0.05˜0.5 M based on the distilled water.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a concentration of the triethanolamine is 0.1˜1 M based on the distilled water.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porous support is provided in a form of foam, mesh or foil having holes.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electroplating is performed at a current of 1˜100 mA cm −2 .

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a volume ratio of the water relative to the ethanol in the mixture solution is 0.01˜0.5.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a volume ratio of the water relative to the ethanol in the mixture solution is 0.03˜0.3.

9. A cathode for a lithium-air battery, manufactured using the method of claim 1 .

10. A lithium-air battery, comprising:
the cathode for a lithium-air battery of claim 9 ;
an anode comprising lithium metal or a lithium alloy;
a separator disposed between the cathode and the anode; and
an electrolyte.

11. The lithium-air battery of claim 10 , wherein the separator is selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, polyester, Teflon, polyethylene, polypropylene and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

12. The lithium-air battery of claim 10 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a solvent and a lithium salt.

13. The lithium-air battery of claim 12 , wherein the solvent is selected from the group consisting of propylene carbonate, ethylene carbonate, fluoroethylene carbonate, diethyl carbonate, ethylmethyl carbonate, methylpropyl carbonate, butylene carbonate, benzonitrile, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, γ-butyrolactone, dioxolane, 4-methyldioxolane, N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylacetamide, dimethylsulfoxide, dioxane, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, sulfolane, dichloroethane, chlorobenzene, nitrobenzene, dimethyl carbonate, methylethyl carbonate, diethyl carbonate, methylpropyl carbonate, methylisopropyl carbonate, ethylpropyl carbonate, dipropyl carbonate, dibutyl carbonate, diethyleneglycol, dimethylether, dimethyldiglycol, dimethyltriglycol and dimethyltetraglycol.

14. The lithium-air battery of claim 12 , wherein the lithium salt is selected from the group consisting of LiPF 6 , LiBF 4 , LiSbF 6 , LiAsF 6 , LiClO 4 , LiCF 3 SO 3 , Li(CF 3 SO 2 ) 2 N, LiC 4 F 9 SO 3 , LiSbF 6 , LiAlO 4 , LiAlCl 4 , LiN(C x F 2x+1 SO 2 )(C y F 2y+1 SO 2 )(wherein x and y are a natural number), LiCl and LiI.

Assignees

• Korea Energy Research Inst

Inventors

• Lee Jong-Won
• Jung Kyu-Nam
• Shin Kyung-Hee
• Song Rak-Hyun
• Park Seok-Joo
• Lee Seung-Bok
• Lim Tak-Hyoung
• Yoon Su-Keun
• Riaz Ahmer

Classifications

• Y02E60/10

  Energy storage using batteries · CPC title

• H01M12/06

  with one metallic and one gaseous electrode · CPC title

• H01M4/9016

  Oxides, hydroxides or oxygenated metallic salts · CPC title

• H01M2004/8689

  Positive electrodes · CPC title

• H01M4/8621 Primary

  containing only metallic or ceramic material, e.g. made by sintering or sputtering · CPC title