TY - JOUR
T1 - Operando observations of RuO2 catalyzed Li2O2 formation and decomposition in a Li-O2 micro-battery
AU - Hou, Chen
AU - Han, Jiuhui
AU - Liu, Pan
AU - Yang, Chuchu
AU - Huang, Gang
AU - Fujita, Takeshi
AU - Hirata, Akihiko
AU - Chen, Mingwei
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank Prof. Kohei Uosaki from NIMS for valuable advice which inspired this study. This work was sponsored by JST-CREST "Phase Interface Science for Highly Efficient Energy Utilization", JST (Japan), MOST 973 of (China Grant No. 2015CB856800 ), Shanghai Pujiang Program ( 17PJ1403700 ) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11327902 , 51271113 , 11704245 ). Appendix A
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2018/5
Y1 - 2018/5
N2 - RuO2 displays excellent bifunctional catalysis towards the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of Li-O2 battery. Nevertheless, how the solid catalyst successively catalyzes solid Li2O2 formation and decomposition, confronting passivation and loss of RuO2/Li2O2 contact, during discharging and charging remains a mystery. Here we report operando observations of RuO2 catalyzed oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of Li2O2 by utilizing a liquid cell scanning transmission electron microscope. Upon discharging, RuO2 obviously accelerates formation of soluble LiO2 intermediates and acts as preferential sites of Li2O2 precipitation. During charging, the catalytic activation of RuO2 takes place at electrolyte-RuO2-Li2O2 triple-phase interfaces. Importantly, RuO2 not only catalyzes the decomposition of directly contacted Li2O2, but also promotes oxidation of soluble LiO2 for rapid dissolution of isolated Li2O2 nanoparticles by a chemical comproportionation reaction. The observation unveils how RuO2 catalyzes the formation and decomposition of Li2O2 during discharging and charging and provides nanoscale insights into cathodic reactions of Li-O2 batteries with solid catalysts.
AB - RuO2 displays excellent bifunctional catalysis towards the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of Li-O2 battery. Nevertheless, how the solid catalyst successively catalyzes solid Li2O2 formation and decomposition, confronting passivation and loss of RuO2/Li2O2 contact, during discharging and charging remains a mystery. Here we report operando observations of RuO2 catalyzed oxygen reduction and evolution reactions of Li2O2 by utilizing a liquid cell scanning transmission electron microscope. Upon discharging, RuO2 obviously accelerates formation of soluble LiO2 intermediates and acts as preferential sites of Li2O2 precipitation. During charging, the catalytic activation of RuO2 takes place at electrolyte-RuO2-Li2O2 triple-phase interfaces. Importantly, RuO2 not only catalyzes the decomposition of directly contacted Li2O2, but also promotes oxidation of soluble LiO2 for rapid dissolution of isolated Li2O2 nanoparticles by a chemical comproportionation reaction. The observation unveils how RuO2 catalyzes the formation and decomposition of Li2O2 during discharging and charging and provides nanoscale insights into cathodic reactions of Li-O2 batteries with solid catalysts.
KW - Liquid cell electron microscopy
KW - Lithium-oxygen battery
KW - RuO catalyst
KW - Scanning transmission electron microscopy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.02.057
DO - 10.1016/j.nanoen.2018.02.057
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85043593021
SN - 2211-2855
VL - 47
SP - 427
EP - 433
JO - Nano Energy
JF - Nano Energy
ER -
