High surface area LaMnO3 nanoparticles enhancing electrochemical catalytic activity for rechargeable lithium-air batteries

Abstract

To improve sluggish kinetics of ORR and OER (oxygen reduction and evolution reaction) on the air electrode, the high surface area LaMnO3 nanoparticle catalysts were synthesized by sol-gel method. The specific surface area of as-synthesized pure phase LaMnO3 nanoparticles is 21.21 m2 g−1. The onset potential of high surface area LaMnO3 in alkaline solution is −0.0202 V which is comparable to commercial Pt/C. When the assembled high surface area LaMnO3-based lithium-air batteries were measured at 100 mA g−1, the initial discharge specific capacity could reach 6851.9 mA h g−1(carbon). In addition, lithium-oxygen batteries including high surface area LaMnO3 catalysts could be cycled for 52 cycles at 200 mA g−1 under a limited discharge-charge depth of 500 mA h gcarbon−1.