A redox flow battery (CRB) performs as an energy storage system and has a negative electrode that directly utilizes CO.sub.2 in the battery charge step as an active species instead of metals. The CRB also has a positive electrode utilizing a metallic or non-metallic redox species, and a cation exchange membrane in between the negative and positive electrodes. The negative electrode comprises a porous base layer, a porous intermediate layer containing a metal oxide and a bi-functional catalyst layer for electrochemical reduction of CO.sub.2 or carbonate to formate and for formate oxidation to either carbonate or CO.sub.2. The bi-functional catalyst can be a PdSn based catalyst, such as PdSn, PdSnIn, and PdSnPb. The metal oxide in the intermediate layer acts as a catalyst support and can be a non-Platinum group metal (PGM) oxide, such as LaCoO.sub.3 or LaNiO.sub.3.

An innovative device that integrates, internally to one individual electrochemical cell, the functions of an electrolyzer, a hydrogen accumulator, and a fuel cell. The device can be recharged both electrically, by connecting it to a usual battery charger, and by way of a direct injection of gaseous hydrogen. The present device is very compact and features a reduced weight, consequently it can be advantageously used both to supply power to small-size portable electronic devices and to supply power to motors of electric vehicles.

An electrochemical apparatus includes a catholyte, an anolyte, and a separator disposed between the catholyte and the anolyte. The catholyte includes metal salt dissolved in water, thereby providing at least one metal ion. The anolyte includes a polysulfide solution. The separator is permeable to the at least one metal ion. During a charging process of the electrochemical apparatus, oxygen is generated in the catholyte, the polysulfide in the polysulfide solution undergoes a reduction reaction in the anolyte, and the at least one metal ion moves from the catholyte to the anolyte. During a discharging process of the apparatus, the oxygen is consumed in the catholyte, the polysulfide oxidizes in the anolyte, and the at least one metal ion moves from the anolyte to the catholyte.

An electrochemical cell includes a bifunctional air cathode, an anode, and a ceramic electrolyte separator disposed substantially between the bifunctional air cathode and the anode. The anode includes a solid metal and a liquid electrolyte phase. The liquid electrolyte phase includes at least one of an alkali oxide, boron oxide, a group V transition metal oxide, and a group VI transition metal oxide.

The present disclosure relates to a lithium oxygen battery with a non-aqueous flowable semi-solid catholyte comprising an electrolyte, dissolved oxygen and carbonaceous particles which are not soluble in the catholyte. The battery also comprises a lithium anode, electrical contacts, an oxygen inlet, a porous cathode current collector and a pump. The oxygen-enriched catholyte is pumped through the cell of the battery and the oxygen redox reaction may take place on the carbonaceous particles which form a conducting percolating network. Also disclosed is a semi-solid, non-aqueous catholyte comprising an electrolyte, dissolved oxygen and carbonaceous particles; the use of the lithium oxygen battery; and the use in electric vehicle and for stationary applications.

A redox flow battery where the negative electrode uses carbon dioxide based redox couples. The negative electrode contains a bifunctional catalyst that allows for the reduction of carbon dioxide to carbonaceous species (e.g., formic acid, oxalic acid or their salts) in the battery charge (i.e., energy storage) mode, and for the oxidation of the above-mentioned carbonaceous species in the battery discharge (i.e., energy generation) mode. The positive electrode of the battery can utilize a variety of redox couples including but not restricted to bromine-bromide, chlorine-chloride, vanadium (IV)-vanadium (V), chromium (III)-dichromate (VII), cerium (III)-cerium (IV), oxygen-water (or hydroxide).

The invention provides a method for discharging and/or charging a lithium-oxygen battery, where the method comprises the steps of (i) generating a discharge product on or within a working electrode in a lithium-oxygen battery in a discharging step, wherein the amount of LiOH in the discharge product is greater than the amount of Li.sub.2O.sub.2; and/or (ii) consuming LiOH on or within a working electrode in a lithium-oxygen battery in a charging step, thereby to generate oxygen optionally together with water, wherein the amount of LiOH consumed in the charging step is greater than the amount of Li.sub.2O.sub.2 consumed. The the lithium-oxygen battery has an electrolyte comprising an organic solvent, and optionally the water content of the electrolyte after a charging step is 0.01 wt % or more.

An electrode mixture layer composition for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery contains an active material, water and a binder. The binder contains a crosslinked polymer of a monomer component including an ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer, and a salt thereof. The crosslinked polymer is a polymer that is crosslinked with allyl methacrylate, and an amount of the allyl methacrylate used is 0.1 to 2.0 parts by weight relative to total 100 parts by weight of non-crosslinking monomers, and a content of the crosslinked polymer and salt thereof is 0.5% to 5.0% by weight of the active material.

The present application is directed to mesoporous carbon materials comprising bi-functional catalysts. The mesoporous carbon materials find utility in any number of electrical devices, for example, in lithium-air batteries. Methods for making the disclosed carbon materials, and devices comprising the same, are also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method using chemical reaction transparency of graphene, and more specifically to a method capable of forming a desired material by a catalytic reaction on a graphene surface using the graphene which inhibits oxygen diffusion without blocking electron delivery, and an applied method thereof.