TY - JOUR
T1 - An efficient, bifunctional catalyst for lithium-oxygen batteries obtained through tuning the exterior Co2+/Co3+ ratio of CoO:X on N-doped carbon nanofibers
AU - Fan, Wei
AU - Zhang, Xiuling
AU - Zhao, Shuyu
AU - Cao, Ran
AU - Li, Congju
PY - 2019/1/1
Y1 - 2019/1/1
N2 - The design and fabrication of efficient catalysts are urgently desired for Li-O2 batteries to prompt both the oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. Morphology/surface optimization can be intensively applied to enhance the catalytic activity of specific materials. Herein, we propose an electrospinning method followed by heat treatment to fabricate CoOx nanoparticles on N-doped carbon nanofibers (CoOx@NCF). Significantly, the electrocatalytic activity can be largely improved through modulating the exterior Co2+/Co3+ ratio by controlling the heat-treatment process. The prepared CoOx nanoparticles possess high uniformity together with good dispersion, which integrates the advantages of morphology and surface properties, making them an effective active catalyst for Li-O2 batteries. The cell with the CoOx@NCF catalyst shows impressively good performance towards the ORR and OER with a high initial discharge capacity (7763.7 mA h g-1), enhanced cycling stability, desirable rate capability and relatively low overpotential. Moreover, the result of LSV indicates that CoOx@NCF enables the decomposition of the side product LiOH efficiently. In addition, the CoOx@NCF catalyst is capable of forming nanosheet-like Li2O2, which is much easier to decompose, compared with toroidal-like Li2O2. The boosted cycling life can be attributed to the synergistic effect of architecture design and surface engineering.
AB - The design and fabrication of efficient catalysts are urgently desired for Li-O2 batteries to prompt both the oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. Morphology/surface optimization can be intensively applied to enhance the catalytic activity of specific materials. Herein, we propose an electrospinning method followed by heat treatment to fabricate CoOx nanoparticles on N-doped carbon nanofibers (CoOx@NCF). Significantly, the electrocatalytic activity can be largely improved through modulating the exterior Co2+/Co3+ ratio by controlling the heat-treatment process. The prepared CoOx nanoparticles possess high uniformity together with good dispersion, which integrates the advantages of morphology and surface properties, making them an effective active catalyst for Li-O2 batteries. The cell with the CoOx@NCF catalyst shows impressively good performance towards the ORR and OER with a high initial discharge capacity (7763.7 mA h g-1), enhanced cycling stability, desirable rate capability and relatively low overpotential. Moreover, the result of LSV indicates that CoOx@NCF enables the decomposition of the side product LiOH efficiently. In addition, the CoOx@NCF catalyst is capable of forming nanosheet-like Li2O2, which is much easier to decompose, compared with toroidal-like Li2O2. The boosted cycling life can be attributed to the synergistic effect of architecture design and surface engineering.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85064509775&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1039/c9cy00477g
DO - 10.1039/c9cy00477g
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85064509775
SN - 2044-4753
VL - 9
SP - 1998
EP - 2007
JO - Catalysis Science & Technology
JF - Catalysis Science & Technology
IS - 8
ER -