Three-Dimensional Interconnected Network Architecture with Homogeneously Dispersed Carbon Nanotubes and Layered MoS2 as a Highly Efficient Cathode Catalyst for Lithium-Oxygen Battery.

The structure and catalytic activity of the oxygen electrode determine the overall electrochemical performance of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries. Here, a three-dimensional (3D) porous interconnected network structure combined with ultrathin MoS2 nanosheets with homogeneously dispersed CNTs (MoS2/CNTs) was synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal reaction. The 3D interconnected architecture can efficiently promote the diffusion of O2 and Li ions as well as impregnation of electrolyte and provide more abundant storage space for the accommodation of discharge products, while the incorporation of uniformly dispersed CNTs improves the electronic conductivity and maintains the integrity of the cathode structure. Therefore, the Li-O2 battery based on MoS2/CNTs achieves improved performance with the low overpotentials (discharge/charge overpotentials of approximately 0.29 and 1.05 V), a high discharge specific capacity of 6904 mA h g-1 at a rate of 200 mA g-1, and excellent cycling stability (132 cycles). Experimental studies reveal that the improved electrochemical performance can be ascribed to the synergistic advantages of electronic conductive CNTs and excellent catalytic activity of the MoS2 nanosheets. Moreover, the unique 3D interconnected network structure can effectively facilitate fast charge transfer kinetics and a facile mass transport pathway. These encouraging performances demonstrate the metal sulfide catalyst as a promising catalytic material of oxygen electrodes for Li-O2 batteries.

[1]  P. He,et al.  Research progresses on materials and electrode design towards key challenges of Li-air batteries , 2018, Energy Storage Materials.

[2]  Tae Gwang Yun,et al.  Three-Dimensional Nanofibrous Air Electrode Assembled With Carbon Nanotubes-Bridged Hollow Fe2O3 Nanoparticles for High-Performance Lithium-Oxygen Batteries. , 2018, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[3]  Youngmin Kim,et al.  Bifunctional Hybrid Catalysts with Perovskite LaCo0.8Fe0.2O3 Nanowires and Reduced Graphene Oxide Sheets for an Efficient Li-O2 Battery Cathode. , 2018, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[4]  Xin-bo Zhang,et al.  Recent Progress on the Development of Metal‐Air Batteries , 2017 .

[5]  Youngmin Kim,et al.  Ruthenium Oxide Incorporated One‐Dimensional Cobalt Oxide Composite Nanowires as Lithium–Oxygen Battery Cathode Catalysts , 2017 .

[6]  Jie Zeng,et al.  Molybdenum Disulfide-Black Phosphorus Hybrid Nanosheets as a Superior Catalyst for Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution. , 2017, Nano letters.

[7]  F. Huo,et al.  Effect of oxygen adsorbability on the control of Li2O2 growth in Li-O2 batteries: Implications for cathode catalyst design , 2017 .

[8]  Shiwei Lin,et al.  Directional Construction of Vertical Nitrogen‐Doped 1T‐2H MoSe2/Graphene Shell/Core Nanoflake Arrays for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction , 2017, Advanced materials.

[9]  Z. Wen,et al.  Local Lattice Distortion Activate Metastable Metal Sulfide as Catalyst with Stable Full Discharge-Charge Capability for Li-O2 Batteries. , 2017, Nano letters.

[10]  Youquan Deng,et al.  Preparation of Carbon Nanotubes/Manganese Dioxide Composite Catalyst with Fewer Oxygen-Containing Groups for Li-O2 Batteries Using Polymerized Ionic Liquids as Sacrifice Agent. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[11]  L. Spiccia,et al.  Vertically Aligned Interlayer Expanded MoS2 Nanosheets on a Carbon Support for Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis , 2017 .

[12]  G. Guo,et al.  Enabling Colloidal Synthesis of Edge-Oriented MoS2 with Expanded Interlayer Spacing for Enhanced HER Catalysis. , 2017, Nano letters.

[13]  Jun Chen,et al.  MCNTs@MnO2 Nanocomposite Cathode Integrated with Soluble O2-Carrier Co-salen in Electrolyte for High-Performance Li-Air Batteries. , 2017, Nano letters.

[14]  L. Hao,et al.  Nitrogen-doped MoS2/carbon as highly oxygen-permeable and stable catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells , 2017 .

[15]  Z. Wen,et al.  CNT@MnO2 Hybrid as Cathode Catalysts Toward Long-Life Lithium Oxygen Batteries , 2016 .

[16]  Bing Sun,et al.  Unraveling the catalytic activities of ruthenium nanocrystals in high performance aprotic Li–O2 batteries , 2016 .

[17]  Amangeldi Torayev,et al.  Impact of Li2O2 Particle Size on Li-O2 Battery Charge Process: Insights from a Multiscale Modeling Perspective. , 2016, The journal of physical chemistry letters.

[18]  Linda F. Nazar,et al.  Advances in understanding mechanisms underpinning lithium–air batteries , 2016, Nature Energy.

[19]  Charlie Tsai,et al.  How Doped MoS2 Breaks Transition-Metal Scaling Relations for CO2 Electrochemical Reduction , 2016 .

[20]  Hee-Dae Lim,et al.  Rational design of redox mediators for advanced Li–O2 batteries , 2016, Nature Energy.

[21]  Y. Gogotsi,et al.  MoS2 Nanosheets Vertically Aligned on Carbon Paper: A Freestanding Electrode for Highly Reversible Sodium‐Ion Batteries , 2016 .

[22]  Mohammad Asadi,et al.  Cathode Based on Molybdenum Disulfide Nanoflakes for Lithium-Oxygen Batteries. , 2016, ACS nano.

[23]  Ji‐Guang Zhang,et al.  In Situ-Grown ZnCo2O4 on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as Air Electrode Materials for Rechargeable Lithium-Oxygen Batteries. , 2015, ChemSusChem.

[24]  Bing Sun,et al.  Mesoporous Carbon Nanocube Architecture for High‐Performance Lithium–Oxygen Batteries , 2015 .

[25]  Bruno Scrosati,et al.  The Lithium/Air Battery: Still an Emerging System or a Practical Reality? , 2015, Advanced materials.

[26]  A. Luntz.  Beyond Lithium Ion Batteries. , 2015, The journal of physical chemistry letters.

[27]  Kishan Dholakia,et al.  The role of LiO2 solubility in O2 reduction in aprotic solvents and its consequences for Li-O2 batteries. , 2014, Nature chemistry.

[28]  Chris Yuan,et al.  Facile Synthesis of MoS2@CNT as an Effective Catalyst for Hydrogen Production in Microbial Electrolysis Cells , 2014 .

[29]  B. McCloskey,et al.  Nonaqueous Li-air batteries: a status report. , 2014, Chemical reviews.

[30]  P. Král,et al.  Robust carbon dioxide reduction on molybdenum disulphide edges , 2014, Nature Communications.

[31]  J. Janek,et al.  Evolution of Li2O2 growth and its effect on kinetics of Li-O2 batteries. , 2014, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[32]  B. McCloskey,et al.  On the Origin and Implications of Li$_2$O$_2$ Toroid Formation in Nonaqueous Li-O$_2$ Batteries , 2014, 1406.3335.

[33]  Bing Sun,et al.  Porous graphene nanoarchitectures: an efficient catalyst for low charge-overpotential, long life, and high capacity lithium-oxygen batteries. , 2014, Nano letters.

[34]  Kevin G. Gallagher,et al.  Quantifying the promise of lithium–air batteries for electric vehicles , 2014 .

[35]  Richard Van Noorden.  The rechargeable revolution: A better battery , 2014, Nature.

[36]  Yan Li,et al.  Size-Dependent Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Oxygen-Reduction and Hydrogen-Evolution Performance of MoS2 Particles. , 2013, Chemistry.

[37]  Yang Shao-Horn,et al.  Influence of Li2O2 morphology on oxygen reduction and evolution kinetics in Li–O2 batteries , 2013 .

[38]  Y. Qian,et al.  A Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene/Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposite with Synergistically Enhanced Electrochemical Activity , 2013, Advanced materials.

[39]  Yuyan Shao,et al.  Making Li‐Air Batteries Rechargeable: Material Challenges , 2013 .

[40]  John B Goodenough,et al.  The Li-ion rechargeable battery: a perspective. , 2013, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[41]  Stefan A Freunberger,et al.  The carbon electrode in nonaqueous Li-O2 cells. , 2013, Journal of the American Chemical Society.

[42]  Jakob Kibsgaard,et al.  Engineering the surface structure of MoS2 to preferentially expose active edge sites for electrocatalysis. , 2012, Nature materials.

[43]  Robert B. Moore,et al.  Lithium oxides precipitation in nonaqueous Li-air batteries. , 2012, Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP.

[44]  G. Shi,et al.  Graphene Hydrogels Deposited in Nickel Foams for High‐Rate Electrochemical Capacitors , 2012, Advanced materials.

[45]  A. Majumdar,et al.  Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future , 2012, Nature.

[46]  Robert W. Black,et al.  Non‐Aqueous and Hybrid Li‐O2 Batteries , 2012 .

[47]  Jean-Marie Tarascon,et al.  Li-O2 and Li-S batteries with high energy storage. , 2011, Nature materials.

[48]  X. Lou,et al.  Glucose-assisted growth of MoS2 nanosheets on CNT backbone for improved lithium storage properties. , 2011, Chemistry.

[49]  Chang Liu,et al.  Advanced Materials for Energy Storage , 2010, Advanced materials.

[50]  Jeffrey Read,et al.  Discharge characteristic of a non-aqueous electrolyte Li/O2 battery , 2010 .

[51]  P. Bruce,et al.  An O2 cathode for rechargeable lithium batteries: The effect of a catalyst , 2007 .

[52]  J. Holmes,et al.  On the Use of Gas Diffusion Layers as Current Collectors in Li-O2 Battery Cathodes , 2014 .

[53]  D. Howard Fairbrother,et al.  Surface and structural characterization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes following different oxidative treatments , 2011 .