Positive electrode for lithium batteries, lithium battery including the positive electrode, and methods of manufacture thereof

A lithium battery comprising:

• a protected negative electrode comprising a lithium metal or a lithium alloy;
• and
• a positive electrode comprising
• at least one of oxygen, sulfur, an organosulfur compound, and a carbon-sulfur compound,
• a polyoxometalate compound, and a conductive material,
• wherein the polyoxometalate compound is represented by Formula 2:
• La[AM12O40] Formula 2
• wherein
• A is at least one of B, Al, Si, P, S, Zn, Ga, Ge, Ru, or a fourth period transition metal;
• M is at least one of Mo, W, or V;
• and
• L is at least one of a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an actinoid, —P(R)4, or —N(R)4 wherein each R is independently a hydrogen atom, a C1-C20 alkyl group, a C6-C20 aryl group, or a C2-C20 heteroaryl group, and
• a is a positive integer, and
• wherein the protected negative electrode comprises a negative electrode containing a lithium metal or a lithium alloy, a first electrolyte, and a protection layer.