A Quantitative Understanding of Electron and Mass Transport Coupling in Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

The lithium-oxygen battery has the highest theoretical specific energy among all battery systems, while the actual value falls significantly short. The hindered oxygen and/or electron transport result(s) in limited utilization of the porous air electrode, while achieving a quantitative understanding of the electrochemistry and mass transport coupling is challenging. Herein, a porous electrode with highly consistent and controllable channel units is pioneered that excludes the randomness of disordered pores and consequently enables the investigation of control mechanisms. A three-dimensional dynamic heterogeneous model is developed, providing the first spatio-temporal distribution of LiO2 and revealing its reversed diffusion trajectories at limited electron transport. The synergistic combination of experiments and models identifies the crucial role of channel sizes on mechanisms that are divided into mass, hybridization, and electron transport control. For macropores, improving Li2O2 conductivity and mitigating solid-liquid interface damage are urgent compared to enhancing oxygen diffusion. The unit model offers a promising approach to quantitatively understand the reaction and transport mechanisms in other battery systems with porous electrodes. This work represents a break through in knowledge of control mechanisms and guides the design of disordered electrodes for high-performance lithium-oxygen batteries. An air electrode with highly consistent and controllable channels is designed to quantitatively understand the electron and mass transport coupling for the lithium-oxygen battery. The synergistic combination of experimentation and modeling demonstrates the crucial role of channel sizes on control mechanisms, which can guide the design of disordered electrodes for high-performance batteries.image