(545e) Long-Life Reversible Li-CO2 Batteries Based on Nanostructured Mn-Based Transition Metal Oxide Electrocatalysts

Combustion of fossil fuels to emit carbon dioxide (CO₂) becomes a major factor for green-house effect. Additionally, energy shortage presents a constraint on the progress of modern society. Many groups have provided different strategies for solving these two issues. However, most of the technologies still face the challenges of high-cost and low efficiency. Li-CO₂ batteries have emerged as one of the most promising energy storage devices by virtue of the advantages of cost savings, high theoretical capacity, and the excellent ability to capture green-house gas CO₂ via reaction with Li. However, high thermal stability Li₂CO₃, the main discharge product of Li-CO₂ batteries, hampers the improvement of cycle performance and practical capacity. In order to enhance cycle stability and capacity, it is necessary to find high efficiency electrocatalysts to help Li-CO₂ batteries decompose Li₂CO₃. In this work, we designed nanostructured AMn₂O₄-type (A= Co, Zn and Ni) transition metal oxide electrocatalysts though electrodeposition method, which can effectively improve cycle performance (> 200 cycles) and charge-discharge capacity (> 10000 mAh/g) of Li-CO₂ batteries. We performed spectroscopies and microscopies to gain a better understanding of the reaction mechanism of Li₂CO₃ formation and decomposition in Li-CO₂ batteries. This work not only paves a pathway to improve electrochemical performance of Li-CO₂ batteries, which would be beneficial for both energy storage and the reduction of CO₂ emissions, but also provides a novel strategy to design elaborately nanostructured transition metal oxide electrocatalysts.