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Structure and Catalyst Effects on the Electrochemical Performance of Air Electrodes in Lithium‐Oxygen Batteries
Author(s) -
Li Liangyu,
Chen Chunguang,
Chen Xiang,
Zhang Xiuhui,
Huang Tao,
Yu Aishui
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201800733
Subject(s) - electrochemistry , electrode , catalysis , lithium (medication) , materials science , chemical engineering , mesoporous material , oxygen , carbon fibers , chemistry , composite material , composite number , organic chemistry , medicine , engineering , endocrinology
The lack of systematic understanding of the effects of architecture and catalysts on the electrochemical performance of lithium‐oxygen (Li−O 2 ) batteries hinders the rational design of air electrodes. In this work, we design and synthesize two honeycomb‐like carbon‐based architectures (HCC‐100 and HCC‐500) using a hard template method. With the same amount of Mo 2 C catalyst loading, the electrochemical performance is compared. At a current density of 100 uA m −2 , the discharge capacity of HCC‐100@Mo 2 C is approximately four times higher than that of HCC‐500@Mo 2 C m −2 . This is attributed to a higher surface area and wider mesopore distribution. Compared to HCC‐100, the material without catalyst loading, the HCC‐100@Mo 2 C electrode shows a considerable improvement in terms of discharge capacities, cycling stability and capacity retention. The stability of the electrode is tested with IR and SEM analysis after cycling. The SEM micrographs show that discharge products of HCC‐100@Mo 2 C tend to form on the catalytic site, while the discharge products of HCC‐100 tend to form a thicker layer which could lead to the increased impedance. The results of IR indicate less Li 2 CO 3 by‐product formation with HCC‐100@Mo 2 C.