This article provides an up-to-date perspective on the use of anion-exchange membranes in fuel cells, electrolysers, redox flow batteries, reverse electrodialysis cells, and bioelectrochemical systems (e.g. microbial fuel cells). The aim is to highlight key concepts, misconceptions, the current state-of-the-art, technological and scientific limitations, and the future challenges (research priorities) related to the use of anion-exchange membranes in these energy technologies. All the references that the authors deemed relevant, and were available on the web by the manuscript submission date (30th April 2014), are included.

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Anion-exchange membranes in electrochemical energy systems

With the development of renewable energy and electrified transportation, electrochemical energy storage will be more important in the future than it has ever been in the past. Although lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are traditionally considered to be the most likeliest candidate thanks to their relatively long cycle life and high energy efficiency, their limited energy density as well as cost are still causing a bottleneck for their long-term application. Alternatively, metal–air batteries have been proposed as a very promising large-scale electricity storage technology with the replacement of the intercalation reaction mechanism by the catalytic redox reaction of a light weight metal–oxygen couple. Generally, based on the electrolyte, these metal–air batteries can be divided into aqueous and nonaqueous systems, corresponding to two typical batteries of Zn–air and Li–air, respectively. The prominent feature of both batteries are their extremely high theoretical energy density, especially for nonaqueous Li–air batteries, which far exceeds the best that can be achieved with LIBs. In this review, we focus on the major obstacle of sluggish kinetics of the cathode in both batteries, and summarize the fundamentals and recent advances related to the oxygen catalyst materials. According to the electrolyte, the aqueous and nonaqueous electrocatalytic mechanisms of the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions are discussed. Subsequently, seven groups of oxygen catalysts, which have played catalytic roles in both systems, are selectively reviewed, including transition metal oxides (single-metal oxides and mixed-metal oxides), functional carbon materials (nanostructured carbons and doped carbons), metal oxide–nanocarbon hybrid materials, metal–nitrogen complexes (non-pyrolyzed and pyrolyzed), transition metal nitrides, conductive polymers, and precious metals (alloys). Nonaqueous systems have the advantages of energy density and rechargeability over aqueous systems and have gradually become the research focus of metal–air batteries. However, there are considerable challenges beyond catalysts from aqueous to nonaqueous electrolytes, which are also discussed in this review. Finally, several future research directions are proposed based on the results achieved in this field, with emphasis on nonaqueous Li–air batteries.

Oxygen electrocatalysts in metal–air batteries: from aqueous to nonaqueous electrolytes

Lithium/air batteries, based on their high theoretical specific energy, are an extremely attractive technology for electrical energy storage that could make long-range electric vehicles widely affordable. However, the impact of this technology has so far fallen short of its potential due to several daunting challenges. In nonaqueous Li/air cells, reversible chemistry with a high current efficiency over several cycles has not yet been established, and the deposition of an electrically resistive discharge product appears to limit the capacity. Aqueous cells require water-stable lithium-protection membranes that tend to be thick, heavy, and highly resistive. Both types of cell suffer from poor oxygen redox kinetics at the positive electrode and deleterious volume and morphology changes at the negative electrode. Closed Li/air systems that include oxygen storage are much larger and heavier than open systems, but so far oxygen- and OH − -selective membranes are not effective in preventing contamination of cells. In this review we discuss the most critical challenges to developing robust, high-energy Li/air batteries and suggest future research directions to understand and overcome these challenges. We predict that Li/air batteries will primarily remain a research topic for the next several years. However, if the fundamental challenges can be met, the Li/air battery has the potential to significantly surpass the energy storage capability of today’s Li-ion batteries.

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/2.086202jes/pdf

A Critical Review of Li/Air Batteries

Quest for Nonaqueous Multivalent Secondary Batteries: Magnesium and Beyond

4.2. Solid-Supported Electrolytes 2280 4.3. Solid-Supported Mediators 2282 4.4. Supported Substrate-Product Capture 2283 4.5. A Unique Electrolyte/Solvent System 2285 5. Reaction Conditions 2285 5.1. Supercritical Fluids 2285 5.1.1. Electrochemical Properties of scCO2 2285 5.1.2. Electroreductive Carboxylation in scCO2 2286 5.1.3. Electrochemical Polymerization in scCO2 2286 5.2. The Cation-Pool Method 2286 5.2.1. Generation of N-Acyliminium Ion Pools 2286 5.2.2. Generation of Alkoxycarbenium Ion Pools 2287 5.2.3. Generation of Diarylcarbenium Ion Pools 2288 5.2.4. Generation of Other Cation Pools 2289 6. Electrochemical Devices 2289 6.1. Electrode Materials 2289 6.2. Ultrasound and Centrifugal Fields 2290 6.3. Electrochemical Microflow Systems 2290 7. Combinatorial Electrochemical Synthesis 2292 7.1. Parallel Electrolysis Using a Macrosystem 2292 7.2. Parallel Electrolysis Using a Microsystem 2293 7.3. Serial Electrolysis Using a Microsystem 2294 8. Conclusions 2294 9. Acknowledgments 2294 10. References 2294

Modern Strategies in Electroorganic Synthesis

Application of the spe method to organic electrochemistry—II. Electrochemical hydrogenation of olefinic double bonds

New electrolyte solutions for rechargeable magnesium metal batteries were studied. The electrolyte solution composed of triethylene glycol dimethyl ether (triglyme) and butyl methyl triglyme as sol...

New Magnesium-ion Conductive Electrolyte Solution Based on Triglyme for Reversible Magnesium Metal Deposition and Dissolution at Ambient Temperature

Application of the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) method to organic electrochemistry—III. Kolbe type reactions on Pt-SPE

An air electrode (6) for a metal-air battery includes an air electrode catalyst, an electrolyte for air electrodes and a; conductive material. The electrolyte for air electrodes contains a layered double hydroxide.

Koji Nishio

Papers

Application of the spe method to organic electrochemistry—II. Electrochemical hydrogenation of olefinic double bonds

New Magnesium-ion Conductive Electrolyte Solution Based on Triglyme for Reversible Magnesium Metal Deposition and Dissolution at Ambient Temperature

Application of the solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) method to organic electrochemistry—III. Kolbe type reactions on Pt-SPE

Air electrode for metal-air battery, membrane/air electrode assembly for a metal-air battery having such air electrode, and metal-air battery

Oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of air electrodes using a perovskite oxide as an electrocatalyst