Rational design of Ru/TiO₂/CNTs as cathode: promotion of cycling performance for aprotic lithium-oxygen battery

Abstract

Realizing long-life cycling is the biggest challenge in the research field of Li-O₂ batteries in the current stage. The main reasons for poor cycling performance are the sluggish Li₂O₂ formation and decomposition process, as well as the side reaction of carbon cathode. In order to accurately address the problems above, a TiO₂/CNTs cathode was rationally designed for long-life Li-O₂ batteries. The CNTs skeleton offers multiple three-dimensional channels for the rapid transportation of oxygen, Li⁺ and electrons. A thin-film and discontinuous layer of TiO₂ is coated on the CNTs surface to effectively inhibit the carbon corrosion but still could let mass transfer smoothly. Ultrafine Ru nanoparticles decorating the TiO₂/CNTs serve as efficient catalytic active sites. Benefiting from the unique structure design, Li-O₂ batteries with the cathode of TiO₂/CNTs achieve a cycling life of 110 with a fixed capacity of 500 mAh g^-1 at a current density of 100 mA g^-1. Our research generates new ideas for designing long-cycling Li-O₂ battery cathodes.

Keywords

Lithium-oxygen battery / rational design cathode / side reaction / Li₂O₂ / cycling performance

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