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23. The cell of item 20, wherein the carboxylic acid is malonic acid and the concentration of malonic acid in the catholyte is about 0.5 molar, and further wherein the concentration of the lithium nitrate salt is about 1 molar. 

24. The cell of any of items 1-23, wherein the alkali metal/oxygen electrochemical energy storage cell is a lithium oxygen battery cell. 

25. The cell of item 24, wherein the lithium oxygen battery cell is a lithium air battery cell open to ambient air for accessing active oxygen that is reduced at the cathode of the cell during discharge. 

26. The cell any of items 1-25 wherein the pH of the catholyte prior to initial discharge is less than 7, less than 6, less than 5, less than 4, or less than 3. 

27. The cell any of items 1-25 wherein the pH of the catholyte prior to initial discharge is in the range of 7 to 3, in the range of 6 to 3, in the range of 5 to 3, or in the range of 4 to 3. 

28. The cell of item 1, wherein the catholyte comprises: water; and 

an amino acid dissolved in water, the amino acid represented by the following general formula 

<img src='content_image/944960.jpg'>

wherein R represents an aliphatic or aromatic optionally substituted organic divalent radical. 

29. The cell of item of 28, wherein the nitrogen atom of the amino group is protonated with a proton of a strong acid yielding amino acid aminium salt. 

30. The cell of item 29, wherein the amino acid aminium salt is selected from the group consisting of an amino acid nitrate, an amino acid hydrosulfate, an amino acid sulfate, and an amino acid perchlorate. 

31. The cell of item 28, wherein the amino acid is selected from the group glycine, alanine, praline, and aminoma› lonic acid. 

32. The cell of item 1, wherein the catholyte comprises: water; and 

a hydroxy acid dissolved in water, the hydroxy acid repre- sented by the following general formula 

<img src='content_image/944961.jpg'>

wherein R represents an aliphatic or aromatic optionally substituted organic divalent radical. 

33. The cell of item 32, wherein the acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, glycolic acid, lactic acid, 2-hydroxypropionic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, 2-hy› droxybutyric acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid. 

34. The cell of item 32, wherein the carboxylic acid is citric acid. 

35. The cell of item 34, wherein the concentration of citric acid is between 0.5 molar to 2 molar. 

36. The cell of item 1, wherein the catholyte comprises: 

a metal acid salt of a polycarboxylic acid comprising a carboxylate anion, one or more acidic protons, and one or more metal cations or a neutral or acid onium salt of 

polycarboxylic acid comprising a carboxylate anion, one or more onium cations, and one or more acidic protons if the onium salt is an acid onium salt; 

wherein the metal acid salt or the onium neutral or acid salt is present in the catholyte prior to actively operating the battery cell. 

37. The cell of item 36, wherein the cation of the metal acid salt is the alkali metal cation. 

38. The cell of item 36, wherein the cation of the metalacid salt is lithium. 

39. The cell of item 36, wherein the polycarboxylic acid from which the acid salt is derived has a first acidic proton that is neutralized in the partial neutralization process and a second acidic proton that is not neutralized said process, and further wherein the second acidic proton actively partakes in the cell discharge reaction. 

40. The cell of item 36, wherein the metal acid salt is an alkali metal hydrogen carboxylate. 

41. The cell of item 36, wherein the metal acid salt is a lithium hydrogen carboxylate. 

42. The cell of item 36, wherein the metal acid salt is selected from the group consisting of lithium hydrogen malonate, lithium dihydrogen citrate, and dilithium hydrogen citrate. 

43. The cell of item 36, wherein the acid onium salt is an acid aminium salt where an aminium cation contains nitrogen atom protonated by a polycarboxylic acid. 

44. The cell of item 43, wherein the acid aminium salt has two types of acidic protons: a first type on a carboxylic group, and a second type on a primary, secondary, or tertiary anm10nium cation, both of which are available to actively partake in a discharge reaction of the cell. 

45. The cell of item 43, wherein the aminium cation is imidazolium. 

46. The cell of item 43, wherein the acid aminium salt is an imidazolium hydrogen carboxylate. 

47. The cell of item 43, wherein the aminium acid salt is selected from the group consisting of imidazolium hydro› gen malonate, imidazolium hydrogen citrate, and imida› zolium dihydrogen citrate. 

48. The cell of item 1, further comprising a non-aqueous protic solvent. 

49. The cell of item 48, wherein the non-aqueous protic solvent is a mono- or polyatomic alcohol. 

50. The cell of item 1, further comprising a non-aqueous aprotic solvent. 

51. The cell of item 50, wherein the non-aqueous aprotic solvent is selected from the group consisting ofDMF and DMSO. 

52. The cell of item 1, wherein the catholyte comprises: water; and 

an inorganic acid salt selected from the group consisting of lithium dihydrogen phosphate and lithium hydrogen selenite, and combinations thereof. 

53. The cell of item 1, wherein the catholyte comprises: 

water; 

an aprotic solvent; and 

a carboxylic acid derivative, wherein the hydroxyl moiety of the carboxyl group is replaced by an atom or a group of atoms comprising an electronegative atom, and the chemical group is not a hydroxyl group. 

54. The cell of item 53, wherein said electronegative atom is selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, oxygen or a halogen. 

55. The cell of item 53, wherein the carboxylic acid deriva› tive is represented by the following general formula: 

