Issue 20, 2016

Mesoporous Cr2O3 nanotubes as an efficient catalyst for Li–O2 batteries with low charge potential and enhanced cyclic performance

Abstract

Hexagonal close packed Cr2O3, fabricated by an electrospinning technique combined with a heating method, is adopted for the first time as a catalyst for non-aqueous lithium–oxygen (Li–O2) batteries. The synthesized highly mesoporous Cr2O3 nanotubes (Cr2O3-MNT) with a large surface area of 53.4 m2 g−1 are confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), field emission high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms (BET). By using the prepared Super P (SP) (60 wt%)/Cr2O3 (30 wt%)/polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) (10 wt%) composite as an oxygen electrode, the Li–O2 battery shows an astonishingly enhanced capacity of 8280 mA h g−1 at a current density of 50 mA g−1. More encouragingly, when the current densities are fixed at 25, 50, 100 and 200 mA g−1 with a limited capacity of 500 mA h g−1, the charging potentials are 3.47, 3.51, 3.78 and 4.01 V, respectively, which are among the lowest charge potentials reported to date. By using a capacity-controlled method (1000 mA h g−1) at a current density of 100 mA g−1, the cell shows excellent cyclic stability up to 50 cycles. The reversible formation and dissociation of Li2O2 are verified by X-ray diffusion (XRD) and SEM, indicating that the as-prepared Cr2O3 nanotubes are a promising catalyst for Li–O2 batteries.

Graphical abstract: Mesoporous Cr2O3 nanotubes as an efficient catalyst for Li–O2 batteries with low charge potential and enhanced cyclic performance

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Jan 2016
Accepted
13 Apr 2016
First published
13 Apr 2016

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016,4, 7727-7735

Mesoporous Cr2O3 nanotubes as an efficient catalyst for Li–O2 batteries with low charge potential and enhanced cyclic performance

X. Zhang, D. Han, Y. He, D. Zhai, D. Liu, H. Du, B. Li and F. Kang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2016, 4, 7727 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA00331A

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