Platinum-Coated Hollow Graphene Nanocages as Cathode Used in Lithium-Oxygen Batteries

Journal Article · Wed Aug 31 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Advanced Functional Materials

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201602246· OSTI ID:1352557

Wu, Feng ^[1]; Xing, Yi ^[2]; Zeng, Xiaoqiao ^[3]; Yuan, Yifei ^[4]; Zhang, Xiaoyi ^[5]; Shahbazian-Yassar, Reza ^[6]; Wen, Jianguo ^[7]; Miller, Dean J. ^[7]; Li, Li ^[1]; Chen, Renjie ^[1]; Lu, Jun ^[3]; Amine, Khalil ^[3]

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1. Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Material Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 P. R. China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Electric Vehicles in Beijing, Beijing 100081 P. R. China
2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Material Science & Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081 P. R. China
3. Chemical Science and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue Lemont IL 60439 USA
4. Chemical Science and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue Lemont IL 60439 USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive Houghton MI 49931 USA
5. X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne IL 60439 USA
6. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive Houghton MI 49931 USA
7. Electron Microscopy Center, Material Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue Lemont IL 60439 USA

One of the formidable challenges facing aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li-O-2) batteries is the high charge overpotential, which induces the formation of byproducts, loss in efficiency, and poor cycling performance. Herein, the synthesis of the ultrasmall Pt-coated hollow graphene nano cages as cathode in Li-O-2 batteries is reported. The charge voltage plateau can reduce to 3.2 V at the current density of 100 mA g(-1), even maintain below 3.5 V when the current density increased to 500 mA g(-1). The unique hollow graphene nanocages matrix can not only provide numerous nanoscale tri-phase regions as active sites for efficient oxygen reduction, but also offer sufficient amount of mesoscale pores for rapid oxygen diffusion. Furthermore, with strong atomic-level oxygen absorption into its subsurface, ultrasmall Pt catalytically serves as the nucleation site for Li2O2 growth. The Li2O2 is subsequently induced into a favorable form with small size and amorphous state, decomposed more easily during recharge. Meanwhile, the conductive hollow graphene substrate can enhance the catalytic activity of noble metal Pt catalysts due to the graphene-metal interfacial interaction. Benefiting from the above synergistic effects between the hollow graphene nanocages and the nanosized Pt catalysts, the ultrasmall Pt-decorated graphene nanocage cathode exhibits enhanced electrochemical performances.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC); USDOE Office of Science - Office of Basic Energy Sciences - Materials Sciences and Engineering Division
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1352557
• Journal Information: Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 26, Issue 42; ISSN 1616-301X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English