Direct synthesis of ACo2O4 (A = Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn) nanowires on carbon cloth as an oxygen electrode catalyst for rechargeable lithium-oxygen batteries

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 529; p. 147064
• Main Authors: Song, Kefan, Yang, Bingqian, Li, Zhixing, Lv, Yue, Yu, Yawei, Yuan, Lefan, Shen, Xiaodong, Hu, Xiulan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-11-2020
• Subjects: ACo2O4 nanowires; Lithium-oxygen batteries; Three-dimensional network; Lithium-oxygen batteries; ACo2O4 nanowires; Three-dimensional network
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.147064

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•The ACo2O4/CC (A = Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn) nanowires were readily synthesized.•The NiCo2O4/CC electrodes can cycle 200 times, show discharge capacity of 6.2 mA h cm−2.•The NiCo2O4/CC electrodes deliver a high energy density of 2861.8, 2674.5 Wh kg−1 at 0.12, 0.24 mA cm−2.•Heat treatment can significantly improve specific surface area and mesopores of CC.
Developing a low-cost, stable and efficient oxygen electrode catalyst for use in lithium-oxygen batteries with a long cycling stability and a high discharge/charge capacity is very important for solving the energy crisis and reducing environmental pollution. In this study, ACo2O4 (A = Ni, Cu, Fe, Zn) nanowires grown on carbon cloth (CC) were readily synthesized via a hydrothermal method with a subsequent heat treatment. NiCo2O4 nanowires grew and crossed each other to randomly form many hedges with a three-dimensional network structure. The NiCo2O4/CC electrode has the higher specific surface area and more mesopores than the other ACo2O4/CC (A = Cu, Fe, Zn) electrodes. The NiCo2O4/CC electrode can cycle over 200 times under a limited capacity of 0.3 mA h cm−2 (500 mA h g−1) at 0.2 mA cm−2 (340 mA g−1) and show a discharge capacity of up to 6.2 mA h cm−2 (10541 mA h g−1) at 0.12 mA cm−2 and 4.75 mA h cm−2 (8076 mA h g−1) at 0.24 mA cm−2, reaching 2861.8 and 2674.5 Wh kg−1 at 0.12 and 0.24 mA cm−2, respectively.