Open AccessFacile Fabrication of Ag Nanocrystals Encapsulated in Nitrogen‐doped Fibrous Carbon as an Efficient Catalyst for Lithium Oxygen Batteries
Author(s) -
Liu Lili,
Ma Tianyi,
Fang Weiwei,
Liu Yuqing,
Konstantinov Kostantin,
Wang Jiazhao,
Liu HuaKun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
energy and environmental materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2575-0356
DOI - 10.1002/eem2.12177
Subject(s) - catalysis , lithium (medication) , materials science , chemical engineering , raman spectroscopy , oxygen , nanocrystal , aqueous solution , carbon fibers , cathode , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , composite number , organic chemistry , medicine , composite material , engineering , endocrinology , physics , optics
A facile synthesis of Ag nanocrystals encapsulated in nitrogen‐doped carbon fiber (NCF) is proposed, based on the simultaneous reaction between pyrrole and Ag + ions in an aqueous solvent followed by a heat treatment. The as‐prepared Ag/NCF demonstrated superior catalytic behavior toward ORR and OER. Besides improved cycling stability, a much lower discharge/charge gap of 0.89 V (vs Li/Li + ) compared with 1.38 V for NCF cathode with a fixed capacity of 500 mAh g −1 was obtained in lithium oxygen batteries. The introduction of Ag crystals into NCF facilitates the oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction kinetics. X‐ray diffraction analysis coupled with Raman spectroscopy confirmed that Ag/NCF cathode could reversibly catalyze Li 2 O 2 formation and decomposition. The NCF matrix offers a conductive network to realize rapid mass transfer and the encapsulated Ag nanocrystals supplied effective catalytic active sites. The combined action between both contributes to the superior electrocatalytic performance.