A modeling study of discharging Li-O₂batteries with various electrolyte concentrations

The mass transfer in the cathode electrode plays an important role in operating Li-O2 batteries. In this study, a two-dimensional, transient, and isothermal model is developed to investigate the mass transfer in discharging Li-O2 batteries. This model simulates the discharge performance of Li-O2 batteries with various electrolyte concentrations (0.1-1.0M) at various current densities (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5 mA/cm2). The O2 diffusivity and the ionic conductivity and diffusivity of Li+ are altered as the bis(trifluoromethane)sulfonimide lithium salt (LiTFSI) concentration in the electrolyte of tetraethylene glycol dimethyl ether (TEGDME) changes. The distributions of O2, Li+, and lithium peroxide (Li2O2) in the cathode electrode after discharge are calculated using this model. Modeling results show that when the concentration decreases from 0.5 to 0.25M, the discharge capacity of Li-O2 sharply drops at various current densities. The mass transfer of Li+ determines the discharge capacity of Li-O2 batteries with dilute electrolytes (≤0.25 M). In contrast, the O2 supply is dominant regarding the discharge capacity when the electrolyte concentration is larger than 0.5M. The highest discharge capacity (e.g., 6.09 mAh at 0.1 mA/cm2) is achieved using 0.5M electrolyte since it balances mass transfer of O2 and Li+.