Pyrochlore LaSrSn2O7 nanoparticles anchored on carbon nanofibers as bifunctional catalysts for an efficient Li-O2 battery

Abstract

The slow reaction kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction for Li2O2 formation and oxygen evolution reaction for Li2O2 decomposition with poor electrocatalytic activities have been a problem to be solved for the commercialization of lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) batteries. Bifunctional catalysts composed with pyrochlore LaSrSn2O7 nanoparticles (LSSO NPs) and one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanofibers (NFs) were prepared and their catalytic performances were investigated for Li-O2 batteries. As-obtained 1D carbon@LaSrSn2O7 (C@LSSO) NFs composites in Li-O2 battery cathode delivered excellent initial specific capacity (ca. 8067.3 mAh g−1). In addition, decent cycle durability of the C@LSSO cathode was accomplished over 54 cycles with a low overpotential gap of 1.01 V at a rate of 200 mA g−1 with a specific capacity limit of 500 mAh g−1, in comparison to the LSSO NPs and ketjen black carbon. The enhanced properties suggest that these composite structures of pyrochlore LSSO NPs with 1D carbon NFs backbones could be a prospective bifunctional catalyst in the development of the high-performance Li-O2 battery.