TY - JOUR
T1 - Fe/N/C composite in Li-O 2 battery
T2 - Studies of catalytic structure and activity toward oxygen evolution reaction
AU - Shui, Jiang Lan
AU - Karan, Naba K.
AU - Balasubramanian, Mahalingam
AU - Li, Shu You
AU - Liu, Di Jia
PY - 2012/10/10
Y1 - 2012/10/10
N2 - Atomically dispersed Fe/N/C composite was synthesized and its role in controlling the oxygen evolution reaction during Li-O 2 battery charging was studied by use of a tetra(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether-based electrolyte. Li-O 2 cells using Fe/N/C as the cathode catalyst showed lower overpotentials than α-MnO 2/carbon catalyst and carbon-only material. Gases evolved during the charge step contained only oxygen for Fe/N/C cathode catalyst, whereas CO 2 was also detected in the case of α-MnO 2/C or carbon-only material; this CO 2 was presumably generated from electrolyte decomposition. Our results reiterate the catalytic effect in reducing overpotentials, which not only enhances battery efficiency but also improves its lifespan by reducing or eliminating electrolyte decomposition. The structure of the Fe/N/C catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Iron was found to be uniformly distributed within the carbon matrix, and on average, Fe was coordinated by 3.3 ± 0.6 and 2.2 ± 0.3 low Z elements (C/N/O) at bond distances of ∼1.92 and ∼2.09 Å, respectively.
AB - Atomically dispersed Fe/N/C composite was synthesized and its role in controlling the oxygen evolution reaction during Li-O 2 battery charging was studied by use of a tetra(ethylene glycol) dimethyl ether-based electrolyte. Li-O 2 cells using Fe/N/C as the cathode catalyst showed lower overpotentials than α-MnO 2/carbon catalyst and carbon-only material. Gases evolved during the charge step contained only oxygen for Fe/N/C cathode catalyst, whereas CO 2 was also detected in the case of α-MnO 2/C or carbon-only material; this CO 2 was presumably generated from electrolyte decomposition. Our results reiterate the catalytic effect in reducing overpotentials, which not only enhances battery efficiency but also improves its lifespan by reducing or eliminating electrolyte decomposition. The structure of the Fe/N/C catalyst was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Iron was found to be uniformly distributed within the carbon matrix, and on average, Fe was coordinated by 3.3 ± 0.6 and 2.2 ± 0.3 low Z elements (C/N/O) at bond distances of ∼1.92 and ∼2.09 Å, respectively.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84867391751&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1021/ja3042993
DO - 10.1021/ja3042993
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84867391751
SN - 0002-7863
VL - 134
SP - 16654
EP - 16661
JO - Journal of the American Chemical Society
JF - Journal of the American Chemical Society
IS - 40
ER -