Porous perovskite CaMnO₃ as an electrocatalyst for rechargeable Li–O₂ batteries

We report a facile synthesis method of preparing interconnected porous CaMnO₃ nanostructures and their utilization as new cathode catalysts in rechargeable lithium–oxygen (Li–O₂) batteries. The CaMnO₃-based electrode enables much enhanced cyclability with a 620 mV smaller discharge–recharge voltage gap than that of the carbon-only cathode at a current rate of 50 mA g_carbon⁻¹. The improved performance is attributed to the high electrocatalytic activity of CaMnO₃ with a porous nanostructure.