Charging processes in lithium-oxygen batteries unraveled through the lens of the distribution of relaxation times

Charging lithium-oxygen batteries is characterized by large overpotentials and low Coulombic efficiencies. Charging mechanisms need to be better understood to overcome these challenges. Charging involves multiple reactions and processes whose specific timescales are difficult to identify. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is suited for this task, but its interpretation is ambiguous. Here, we combine the distribution of relaxation times (DRT) with the distribution of capacitive times (DCT) to identify the timescales of lithium-oxygen battery charging through EIS. In situ differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) is used to validate the impedance results. The results show that the overpotential is mainly due to Li₂O₂’s charge transfer resistance at the initial and final stages of charging, whereas at mid-charging, Li₂CO₃ passivation becomes dominant. Mid-charging is particularly critical as Li₂CO₃ decomposition leads to electrolyte degradation and byproducts clogging the pores, inhibiting the diffusion process in the composite electrode. These methods provide a framework for studying other electrochemical systems.