Dynamic Modulation of Li₂O₂ Growth in Li-O₂ Batteries through Regulating Oxygen Reduction Kinetics with Photo-Assisted Cathodes

Widely acknowledged that the capacity of Li-O₂ batteries (LOBs) should be strongly determined by growth behaviors of the discharge product of lithium peroxide (Li₂O₂) that follows both coexisting surface and solution pathways. However until now, it remains still challenging to achieve dynamic modulation on Li₂O₂ morphologies. Herein, the photo-responsive Au nanoparticles (NPs) supported on reduced oxide graphene (Au/rGO) have been utilized as cathode to manipulate oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics by aid of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effects. Thus, we can experimentally reveal the importance of matching ORR kinetics with Li⁺ migration towards battery performance. Moreover, it is found that Li⁺ concentration polarization caused “sudden death” of LOBs is supposed to be just a form of suspended animation that could timely recover under irradiation. This work provides us an in-depth explanation on the working mechanism of LOBs from a kinetic perspective, offering valuable insights for the future battery design.