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A Co‐Doped MnO 2 Catalyst for Li‐CO 2 Batteries with Low Overpotential and Ultrahigh Cyclability
Author(s) -
Ge Bingcheng,
Sun Yong,
Guo Jianxin,
Yan Xiaobin,
Fernandez Carlos,
Peng Qiuming
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201902220
Subject(s) - overpotential , materials science , energy storage , electrochemistry , electrolyte , chemical engineering , catalysis , doping , density functional theory , current density , nanotechnology , electrode , optoelectronics , chemistry , organic chemistry , thermodynamics , power (physics) , physics , computational chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering
Li‐CO 2 batteries can not only capture CO 2 to solve the greenhouse effect but also serve as next‐generation energy storage devices on the merits of economical, environmentally‐friendly, and sustainable aspects. However, these batteries are suffering from two main drawbacks: high overpotential and poor cyclability, severely postponing the acceleration of their applications. Herein, a new Co‐doped alpha‐MnO 2 nanowire catalyst is prepared for rechargeable Li‐CO 2 batteries, which exhibits a high capacity (8160 mA h g −1 at a current density of 100 mA g −1 ), a low overpotential (≈0.73 V), and an ultrahigh cyclability (over 500 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g −1 ), exceeding those of Li‐CO 2 batteries reported so far. The reaction mechanisms are interpreted depending on in situ experimental observations in combination with density functional theory calculations. The outstanding electrochemical properties are mostly associated with a high conductivity, a large fraction of hierarchical channels, and a unique Co interstitial doping, which might be of benefit for the diffusion of CO 2 , the reversibility of Li 2 CO 3 products, and the prohibition of side reactions between electrolyte and electrode. These results shed light on both CO 2 fixation and new Li‐CO 2 batteries for energy storage.