Three metal air systems are of interest to us:
- Lithium Air
- Zinc Air
- Aluminum Air
Our researchers are focused on overcoming the “bottle-neck” issues of Lithium Air batteries: development of a functional 3-dimensional, 3-phase gas-diffusion-electrode in non-aqueous electrolyte; avoidance of the GDE passivation by the deposition of oxygen reduction products; prevention of the chemical reaction between superoxide ions with organic solvents and increase of oxygen solubility and diffusion rate in non-aqueous electrolytes. We also investigate non-noble metal catalysts, the carbon material for the oxygen reduction, and engineering designs for the GDE, cells, and battery packages.