Tailored Plasmonic Ru/O_V-MoO₂ on TiO₂ Catalysts via Solid-Phase Interface Engineering: Toward Highly Efficient Photoassisted Li–O₂ Batteries with Enhanced Cycling Reliability

Abstract

The photoassisted electrochemical reactions are considered an effective method to reduce the overpotential of Li–O2 batteries. However, achieving long-term cell cycling stability remains a challenge. Here, we report a solid-phase interfacial reaction (SPIR) strategy that introduces both oxygen vacancies (OV) and metal centers (Ru) into the MoO2 to synthesize the surface plasmon (i.e., Ru/OV-MoO2). Then, Ru/OV-MoO2 can be uniformly loaded on the TiO2 nanowires by the hydrothermal method. The plasma effect of Ru/OV-MoO2 demonstrates the effective reduction of the photoexcited electron and hole recombination to improve visible light-harvesting ability. The lifetime of electrons and holes can be extended by Ru nanoparticles, which is beneficial for promoting the formation and decomposition of Li2O2. In addition, the generated OV further enhanced the migration of electrons and Li+, thus improving the ORR performance. The Ru/OV-MT/CC cathode corroborates excellent stability and catalytic performance in the photoassisted Li–O2 battery, with an overpotential value of 0.47 V, achieving the highest energy efficiency of 93.94%, retaining at 89.13% after 800 h. This work offers a platform for preparing a stable, bifunctional catalyst with the high total activity of a photoassisted Li–O2 battery.

Air Cathode Design for Light-Assisted Charging of Metal–Air Batteries: Recent Advances and Perspectives

“…(a,b) EIS plots of TiO 2 /CC and Ru/O V -MoO 2 /TiO 2 /CC before (a)/after (b) the discharge process under the light. Reproduced with permission from ref . Copyright 2022, American Chemical Society.…”

“…101 Xing's research group found that TiO 2 /CC had a slower charge migration, resulting in the generation of more insulation discharge products and an increase in impedance after discharge, while Ru/O V -MT/CC remained stable (as shown in Figure 10a,b). 71 It is expected that as the number of discharges increases, the accumulation of byproducts in the electrode will lead to a further increase in impedance, resulting in a decrease in battery life. 102 The morphology of the semiconductor also affects impedance.…”

“…The introduction of ruthenium metal centers under visible light to generate the LSPR effect enhances the built-in battery and accelerates carrier separation. This catalyst greatly improves the cycle performance of photoassisted Li–O 2 batteries, achieving a record 800 h cycle at a current density of 0.01 mA cm –2 . In zinc–air batteries, Sun et al coated TiO 2 with a P150–20 nanolayer to reduce the charging voltage to 0.8 V (Figure a).…”

Pt Nanoparticles Confined in a 3D Porous FeNC Matrix as Efficient Catalysts for Rechargeable Li-CO2/O2 Batteries

“…10−17 As one of the candidates in the spotlight, the Li−air(O 2 ) battery shows a high energy density of 3500 Wh kg −1 . 18 However, in the air environment, the existence of CO 2 inevitably results in the formation of side Li 2 CO 3 products due to its high solubility in organic electrolytes. 19 Developing the Li-CO 2 /O 2 battery with an energy density of 2100 Wh kg −1 can not only help investigate the growth and decomposition behavior of Li 2 CO 3 but also combine CO 2 resource utilization and energy storage.…”

“…Energy crisis and environment pollution are two focuses of international issues. − Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), widely used in various electronic devices such as cellphone and electric vehicles, can no longer satisfy the energy demand of ever-increasing mileage limited by their low energy density (<350 Wh kg –1 ). − To solve this problem, advanced high-energy-density battery systems are urgently required and are gradually being considered. − As one of the candidates in the spotlight, the Li–air­(O 2 ) battery shows a high energy density of 3500 Wh kg –1 . However, in the air environment, the existence of CO 2 inevitably results in the formation of side Li 2 CO 3 products due to its high solubility in organic electrolytes .…”