Accelerated Electrochemical Decomposition of Li2O2 under X-ray Illumination

• This work presents the first report detailing the effect of X-rays on the electrochemical decomposition of Li2O2, which is the main reaction during the charging process in a Li-O-2 battery. An operando synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXD) experiment was performed. The results indicate that the electrochemical decomposition of Li2O2 is dramatically accelerated under X-ray irradiation. The accelerated decomposition of Li2O2 follows a zero-order reaction, and the decomposition rate constant is proportional to the intensity of X-ray used. A mechanism for the electrochemical decomposition of Li2O2 under X-ray irradiation is proposed. These results give an insight into the charging process in Li-O-2 batteries.

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