Inorganic & organic materials for rechargeable Li batteries with multi-electron reaction

Rechargeable Li batteries as electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices are continuously changing human life. In order to meet the increasing demand for energy and power density, it is essential and urgent to exploit the electrode materials with high capacity and fast charge transfer (for Li-ion and Li-S batteries) and electrocatalysts with high activity (for rechargeable Li-O-2 batteries). The high capacity is attributed to high electron transfer number and low molecular weight of the electrode materials. Combined with proper nanostructure design, the electronic transfer and ionic conductivity will be improved. This review summarizes recent efforts to apply electrode materials for Li-ion batteries with multi-electron reaction, Li-S batteries, and efficient electrocatalysts for Li-O-2 batteries. The methods to enhance the cycling and rate performance have been discussed in detail. Advanced rechargeable Li batteries with multi-electron reaction will become the research emphasis in the future.