# US 2022/0045337 A1 · Catalytic cathode for a lithium-oxygen battery > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0045337 A1 - Document ID: US20220045337A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/988,279 - Filed: 2020-08-07 - Published: 2022-02-10 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-07 - Assignees: Uchicago Argonne, LLC - Applicants: UChicago Argonne, LLC - Inventors: Xiaoqiao Zeng; Khalil Amine; Jun Lu; Yuanyuan Guo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045337A1 ## CPC - H01M 4/926: {on carbon or graphite} - H01M 4/8871: {Sputtering} - H01M 4/9083: {on carbon or graphite} - H01M 12/02: Details (of electrodes H01M4/00; of non-active parts H01M50/00) - H01M 12/08: composed of a half-cell of a fuel-cell type and a half-cell of the secondary-cell type - H01M 2004/8689: {Positive electrodes} - H01M 2300/0028: characterised by the solvent - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY ## Abstract A metal-air battery includes an anode; a low-dimensional catalyst cathode; and an electrolyte; wherein: the low-dimensional catalyst cathode comprises a functional metal layer on a carbon support overcoated with a catalyst layer; the electrolyte comprises an aprotic solvent that is an ether-based solvent, a fluorinated ether-based solvent, an oligo (ethylene oxide) solvent, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; and the electrolyte is free of carbonate solvents. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A metal-air battery comprising: an anode; a low-dimensional catalyst cathode; and an electrolyte comprising a salt and an aprotic solvent; wherein: the low-dimensional catalyst cathode comprises a functional metal layer on a carbon support; a catalyst layer at least partially overlaying the functional metal layer; the aprotic solvent comprises an ether-based solvent, a fluorinated ether-based solvent, an oligo (ethylene oxide) solvent, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; and the electrolyte is free of carbonate solvents. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the functional metal layer comprises Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, Nb, Mo, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Ir, Pt, Au, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer comprises Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the functional metal layer comprises Cr, Cu, Ag, Au, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the catalyst layer comprises Ni, Pd, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the functional metal layer comprises Cr or Au, and the catalyst layer comprises Pt. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the low-dimensional catalyst cathode is a 2D catalyst cathode. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the low-dimensional catalyst cathode is a 0D catalyst cathode. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the functional metal layer and the catalyst layer are deposited by a thin film deposition method, wherein a transverse dimension of the functional metal layer is about 1 nm to about 5 nm functional layer, and a transverse dimension of the catalyst layer is about 2 nm to about 20 nm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the carbon support comprises synthetic graphite, natural graphite, amorphous carbon, hard carbon, soft carbon, acetylene black, mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB), carbon black, Ketjen black, mesoporous carbon, a porous carbon matrix, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the anode comprises lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, or zinc. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the electrolyte further comprises a lithium salt. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein the aprotic solvent comprises glyme, diglyme, tetrahydrofuran, tetraethylene glycol dimethylether, tri(ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, ethylene glycol-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, di(ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, dimethylformamide, triethyl phosphate, N,N-dimethylacetamide, N-methyl pyrrolidone, methoxybenzene, or an ionic liquid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The metal-air battery of claim 13, wherein the aprotic solvent comprises tetraethylene glycol dimethylether, tri (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, ethylene glycol-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, or di (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The metal-air battery of claim 14, wherein the aprotic solvent comprises tri (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, ethylene glycol-substituted methyltrimethyl silane, or di (ethylene glycol)-substituted methyltrimethyl silane. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1 that is a lithium-air battery. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The metal-air battery of claim 1, wherein during operation at least some of the lithium is present as Li+. ### Claim 18 A low-dimensional catalyst cathode comprising a catalyst layer overlaying a functional metal layer on a carbon support, wherein the low-dimensional catalyst cathode is a 2D or 0D catalyst cathode. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The low-dimensional catalyst cathode of claim 18, wherein the functional metal layer comprises Al, Si, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, Nb, Mo, Pd, Ag, In, Sn, Ir, Pt, Au, or a mixture of any two or more thereof; and the catalyst layer comprises Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Ru, Pd, Ag, Os, Ir, Pt, or a combination of any two or more thereof; and the carbon support comprises synthetic graphite, natural graphite, amorphous carbon, hard carbon, soft carbon, acetylene black, mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB), carbon black, Ketjen black, mesoporous carbon, a porous carbon matrix, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene, or a mixture of any two or more thereof. ### Claim 20 A method of forming a low-dimensional catalyst cathode, the method comprising: selecting a cathode layer material and a functional metal layer material, wherein the functional metal layer material dewets the cathode layer material; depositing the functional metal layer material on a carbon support; and depositing the cathode layer material on at least a portion of the functional metal layer material on the carbon support.