Nitrogen-containing mesoporous carbon cathode for lithium-oxygen batteries: The influence of Nitrogen on oxygen reduction reaction

• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2014.10.138
• Publication Date: 2014-10-30T14:50:27Z
• Authors: Hongjiao Nie; Yining Zhang; Wei Zhou; Jing Li; Baoshan Wu; Tao Liu; Huamin Zhang
• Keywords: 02 engineering and technology; 0210 nano-technology; 7. Clean energy

The direct effect of nitrogen content and various nitrogen species on oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities in non-aqueous lithium-oxygen (Li-O-2) batteries are systematically investigated. Mesoporous carbon (MC) with various nitrogen species is prepared through heat treatment of N-containing precursor under different temperature. The effect of the heat treatment temperature on the performance of carbon materials in Li-O-2 battery is investigated. The bonding state of nitrogen atoms is found to have a significant effect on the ORR activity. The ORR activity in Li-O-2 battery is proved to be dependent on the quaternary N content while the total N content in the carbon material does not play a crucial role in the ORR process. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.