Metal-air battery with ion-conducting inorganic glass electrolyte

摘要

A solid-state metal-air electrochemical cell comprising: (A) a metal-containing electro-active anode; (B) an oxygen electro-active cathode; and (C) an ion-conducting glass electrolyte disposed between the metal-containing anode and the oxygen electro-active cathode. The cathode active material, which is oxygen gas, is not stored in the battery but rather fed from the environment. The oxygen cathode is preferably a composite carbon electrode which serves as the cathode current collector on which oxygen molecules are reduced during discharge of the battery to generate electric current. The glass electrolyte typically has an ion conductivity in the range of 5x10^-5 to 2x10^-3 S/cm. The electrolyte layer is preferably smaller than 10 mum in thickness and further preferably smaller than 1 mum. The anode metal is preferably lithium or lithium alloy, but may be selected from other elements such as sodium, magnesium, calcium, aluminum and zinc.