Abstract
Development of efficient, affordable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction is critical for rechargeable metal-air batteries. Here we present lithium cobalt oxide, synthesized at 400 °C (designated as LT-LiCoO2) that adopts a lithiated spinel structure, as an inexpensive, efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction. The catalytic activity of LT-LiCoO2 is higher than that of both spinel cobalt oxide and layered lithium cobalt oxide synthesized at 800 °C (designated as HT-LiCoO2) for the oxygen evolution reaction. Although LT-LiCoO2 exhibits poor activity for the oxygen reduction reaction, the chemically delithiated LT-Li1-xCoO2 samples exhibit a combination of high oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activities, making the spinel-type LT-Li0,5CoO2 a potential bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable metal-air batteries. The high activities of these delithiated compositions are attributed to the Co4O4 cubane subunits and a pinning of the Co(3+/4+):3d energy with the top of the O(2-):2p band.
Highlights
Development of efficient, affordable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction is critical for rechargeable metal-air batteries
Water electrolysis is performed by the photosystem II water-oxidizing complex containing CaMn4Ox clusters that are capable of promoting water oxidation with significant turnover frequencies at low overpotentials[4,5,6,7,8]
Electrolysis of water is generally preferred in alkaline medium over acidic medium because of the less expensive materials for construction and less susceptibility to corrosion[11,12,13]
Summary
Development of efficient, affordable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction and the oxygen reduction reaction is critical for rechargeable metal-air batteries. We present lithium cobalt oxide, synthesized at 400 °C (designated as LT-LiCoO2) that adopts a lithiated spinel structure, as an inexpensive, efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction. The catalytic activity of LT-LiCoO2 is higher than that of both spinel cobalt oxide and layered lithium cobalt oxide synthesized at 800 °C (designated as HT-LiCoO2) for the oxygen evolution reaction. LT-LiCoO2 exhibits poor activity for the oxygen reduction reaction, the chemically delithiated LT-Li1 À xCoO2 samples exhibit a combination of high oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activities, making the spinel-type LTLi0,5CoO2 a potential bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable metal-air batteries. The major challenge in metal-air batteries and water electrolysis is to design and develop economically feasible, earth-abundant, inexpensive, efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER)[4]. The LiCoO2 sample synthesized at high temperatures (B800 °C) has the aC-oN3 aþFeiOon[2] sstrourcdteurreon(spaalcteerngraoteup{:1R113}m)pliannewshoicfh the the
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