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Co3O4-Catalyzed LiOH Chemistry in Li-O2Batteries

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

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Article

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Abstract

Li-O2 batteries (LOBs) operating via LiOH chemistry have attracted increasing interest due to the higher stability of LiOH in organic electrolytes, compared to Li2O2. Several catalysts have been shown to promote the formation of LiOH during discharge. However, LiOH has been difficult to reoxidize to form oxygen on charging. Here, we report that, in the presence of water, the catalyst Co3O4 promotes the formation of LiOH on discharge via a 4 e-/O2 process with few side reactions, forming large (001) facet-exposed LiOH flakes. Hydroperoxide LiOOH was detected as a potential discharge intermediate. During charge, O2 evolution was detected along with LiOH decomposition up to 3.9 V; at higher voltages, products from parasitic reactions can be detected. This work provides new insights into the role of solid catalyst for LiOH chemistry in LOBs, which will promote the development of reversible and long-lasting LiOH-based LOBs.

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Keywords

40 Engineering, 4016 Materials Engineering, 34 Chemical Sciences, 3406 Physical Chemistry

Journal Title

ACS Energy Letters

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

2380-8195
2380-8195

Volume Title

5

Publisher

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Rights

All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/M009521/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P003532/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/P030467/1)
We thank EPSRC for the research funding under the grant EP/M009521/1 DJR00640, EP/P003532/1. J.L. thanks the EPSRC Underpinning Multi-User Equipment Call (EP/P030467/1) for electron microscopy facilities (SEM, TEM) located in the Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge. J.L. thanks the Research Startup Fund from Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen. S. D. acknowledges DST-Overseas Visiting Fellowship in Nanoscience and Technology (funded by Govt. of India, 2018-19). Y.J. acknowledges funding support from Faraday Institution NEXGENNA project. The X-ray photoelectron (XPS) data collection was performed at the EPSRC National Facility for XPS ("HarwellXPS"), operated by Cardiff University and UCL, under Contract No. PR16195. The authors thank Tao Liu, Evan Wenbo Zhao, James Ellison, Evelyna Wang for insightful discussions, Zachary Ruff for help with Raman spectroscopy, and Heather Greer for help with the TEM/SEM measurements.