Degradation and revival of Li-O₂ battery cathode

Current non-aqueous Li-O₂ cells usually could only operate for tens cycles, and electrolyte decomposition was always observed. Here it is demonstrated that, among all the cell elements, cathode is the first component to fail in our experiment. The passivation effect on the cathode was proven to be the reason for the loss of capacity in the cathode. However, the cathode was not permanently damaged in the failed cell and the capacity could be regenerated after the removal of the insulating layer. Thus, the cell's cycling was revived. This study presented a possibility of significantly elongating the lifespan of Li-O₂ cells.