Mesoporous a-MnO2/Pd catalyst air electrode for rechargeable lithium–air battery

Rechargeable lithium–air battery is studied using Pd/mesoporous α-MnO₂ air composite electrode. In the present work, we have studied the preparation and electrochemical performance of ordered mesoporous α-MnO₂ as a cathode catalyst for rechargeable Li–air batteries. α-MnO₂ was prepared by reduction of KMnO₄ solution in acidic aqueous solution followed by successive proton and alkali-ion exchange method. α-MnO₂ with high surface area of 33–133.0 m² g⁻¹ was successively synthesized and used as an electrode catalyst for Li–air battery. It was found that the mixture of Pd and mesoporous α-MnO₂ electrode shows the high activity to oxidation and reduction of Li to form Li₂O₂ or Li₂O. Application of Pd/mesoporous α-MnO₂, which is mixed with teflonized acetylene binder (TAB), for air electrode is effective for decreasing the charge potential and also improved the energy efficiency as well as cyclability.

This paper was originally published in the Journal of Power Sources (2011) 196, 7016–7020.