Porous Carbon Networks Decorated with Cobalt on CoFe₂O₄ as an Air‐Breathing Electrode for High‐Capacity Rechargeable Lithium‐Air Batteries: Role of Metallic Cobalt Nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract The development of cost‐effective efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for metal‐air batteries is an important aspect for its commercialization. We demonstrate the effect of Co nanoparticles and/or the porous carbon matrix in pristine CoFe 2 O 4 (CFO) electrocatalysts towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The Co/CoFe 2 O 4 ‐carbon network (CCFOC) with a high surface area and good conductivity offered more active sites for oxygen adsorption as well as accelerated electron transfer kinetics, leading to superior ORR and OER activities. A Li‐air battery split cell was fabricated using the CCFOC as an air‐breathing electrode, which exhibited a high discharge capacity of 4320 mAh g −1 at a high current density of 100 mA g −1 with an acceptable cycling stability and columbic efficiency. The fabricated coin cell or the split cell Li‐air battery could power a commercial 2.8 V green LED bulb continuously for more than 6 h.