Lithium air batteries (LABs) have been recognized as one of the most promising high-efficiency energy storage systems. Professor Won-Hee Ryu group at Sookmyung Women’s University report outstanding porphyrin-derived soluble catalysts for achieving efficient LAB electrochemical properties. The study appears in the Advanced Energy Materials journal and was featured as a Front Cover of the issue in 17 February 2022.

Despite their distinct energy potential, LABs exhibit large overpotentials and a poor cycling life because of the sluggish oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER). The researchers introduced different metal-centered organometallic phthalocyanine (MPc) complexes and investigated their potential application as redox mediators (RMs) for fabricating efficient LABs.

The researchers determined the feasibility of each MPc as a potential RM by combining various experiments and first-principles calculations. Using a rational strategy based on explicit advanced experiments, they determined electrochemical reaction mechanisms of the porphyrin-dericved MPcs in LABs. Moreover, they also elucidated the synergistic effects of blended MPcs—a mixture consisting of the two most effective MPcs—in both the OER and ORR regions in ambient air atmosphere. 

Prof, Ryu said that “Our study provides new insights into the introduction of nature-derived phthalocyanine catalysts and a key knowledge for understanding organometallic porphyrin-based materials as eco-friendly and nature-derived catalysts.” “It will attract considerable attention from not only many battery materials researchers but also the general journal readership interested in energy research-related fields.” Prof. Ryu said.

[Reference] H.-S. Kim, et al. "Auto‐Oxygenated Porphyrin‐Derived Redox Mediators for High‐Performance Lithium Air‐Breathing Batteries." Advanced Energy Materials (2022) 2103527, DOI: 10.1002/aenm.202103527

[Main Author] Hyun-Soo Kim (Sookmyung Women’s University), Boran Kim (Sookmyung Women’s University), Won-Hee Ryu (Sookmyung Women’s University)

* Contact : Prof. Won-Hee Ryu (whryu@sookmyung.ac.kr)