Structural engineering of metal-organic layers toward stable Li-CO2 batteries

Abstract

The rational design of metal-organic layers (MOL) with well-exposed catalytic sites and versatile structures holds great promise for boosting CO2 reduction/evolution kinetics in Li-CO2 batteries. In this work, a multifunctional MOL (Mn-TTA MOL) with a rich catalytic surface and flower-like conductive structure was fabricated as an efficient cathodic catalyst for Li-CO2 batteries. Benefiting from the abundant accessible catalytic surface and unique conductive network, the as-developed cells based on the Mn-TTA MOL display high discharge capacity, low polarization, and excellent rate performance. Importantly, superior long-term cycling stability over 300 cycles can be achieved even at a high current density of 1.0 A g−1. The findings provide new insights into catalyst engineering for high-performance Li-CO2 batteries and would advance the development of MOL-based catalysts in various energy storage technologies.