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Bamboo‐Like Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotube Forests as Durable Metal‐Free Catalysts for Self‐Powered Flexible Li–CO 2 Batteries
Author(s) -
Li Xuelian,
Zhou Jingwen,
Zhang Junxiang,
Li Matthew,
Bi Xuanxuan,
Liu Tongchao,
He Tao,
Cheng Jianli,
Zhang Fan,
Li Yongpeng,
Mu Xiaowei,
Lu Jun,
Wang Bin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201903852
Subject(s) - materials science , battery (electricity) , carbon nanotube , energy storage , nanotechnology , organic radical battery , electrode , catalysis , bifunctional , fiber , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , composite material , organic chemistry , power (physics) , chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
The Li–CO 2 battery is a promising energy storage device for wearable electronics due to its long discharge plateau, high energy density, and environmental friendliness. However, its utilization is largely hindered by poor cyclability and mechanical rigidity due to the lack of a flexible and durable catalyst electrode. Herein, flexible fiber‐shaped Li–CO 2 batteries with ultralong cycle‐life, high rate capability, and large specific capacity are fabricated, employing bamboo‐like N‐doped carbon nanotube fiber (B‐NCNT) as flexible, durable metal‐free catalysts for both CO 2 reduction and evolution reactions. Benefiting from high N‐doping with abundant pyridinic groups, rich defects, and active sites of the periodic bamboo‐like nodes, the fabricated Li–CO 2 battery shows outstanding electrochemical performance with high full‐discharge capacity of 23 328 mAh g −1 , high rate capability with a low potential gap up to 1.96 V at a current density of 1000 mA g −1 , stability over 360 cycles, and good flexibility. Meanwhile, the bifunctional B‐NCNT is used as the counter electrode for a fiber‐shaped dye‐sensitized solar cell to fabricate a self‐powered fiber‐shaped Li–CO 2 battery with overall photochemical–electric energy conversion efficiency of up to 4.6%. Along with a stable voltage output, this design demonstrates great adaptability and application potentiality in wearable electronics with a breath monitor as an example.