The effect of ionic association on the electrochemistry of redox mediators for Li-O batteries: developing a theoretical framework.

A theoretical framework to explain how interactions between redox mediators (RMs) and electrolyte components impact electron transfer kinetics, thermodynamics, and catalytic efficiency is presented. Specifically focusing on ionic association, 2,5-di--butyl-1,4-benzoquinone (DBBQ) is used as a case study to demonstrate these effects. Our analytical equations reveal how the observed redox couple's potential and electron transfer rate constants evolve with Li concentration, resulting from different redox activity mechanisms.