Synthesis of Ag/Co@CoO NPs anchored within N-doped hierarchical porous hollow carbon nanofibers as a superior free-standing cathode for LiO2 batteries. (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cao, Yuan; Lu, Huimin; Hong, Qingshui; Xu, Binbin; Wang, Junren; Deng, Yan; Yang, Wenwen; Cai, Wei
• Is Part Of: Carbon. Volume 144(2019)
• Page Start: 280
• Page End: 288
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: LiO2 batteries -- Free-standing cathode -- Hierarchical porous hollow carbon nanofiber -- Petal-like products Li2O2 -- Synergy interaction; Carbon -- Periodicals; Carbone -- Périodiques; Koolstof; Toepassingen; Electronic journals; 546.681
• DOI: 10.1016/j.carbon.2018.12.048
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0008-6223

Abstract

Abstract: To develop high-performance and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for LiO2 batteries, a promising new material is developed in this study, which consists of hierarchical porous hollow carbon nanofibers (HCNFs) with Ag/Co@CoO nanoparticles immobilized inside. This material is prepared using a facile and convenient coaxial electrospinning method, followed by a simple heat treatment. The Ag/Co@CoOHCNF cathode shows low polarization and excellent cycle performance. A combination of structural characterizations (e.g., scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy, and the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method) and electrochemical analyses shows that the excellent battery performance of the Ag/Co@CoOHCNF cathode can be attributed to its hierarchical porous structure, high surface area and high content of active sites combined with the synergetic interactions between Ag and Co@CoO as well as the improved electrical conductivity. Notably, the introduction of Ag may promote the Li2 O2 to grow and crystallize into nanosheets due to the synergetic interactions between Ag and CoO. The petal-like Li2 O2 discharge products formed on the Ag/Co@CoOHCNF cathode are more readily decomposed than the film-like Li2 O2 . Our findings provide a reference for designing free-standing high-performance hollow-structured Ag/Co@CoO hybrid electrodes by coaxial electrospinning for non-aqueous LiO2 batteries. Graphical abstract: Image 1