Interfacial Engineering of Co3O4/Fe2O3 Nano‐Heterostructure Toward Superior Li‐O2 Batteries

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2023-01, Vol.19 (3), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Zhao, Yajun, Tang, Wenhao, Liu, Wenhong, Kong, Xianghua, Zhang, Dawei, Luo, Hao, Teng, Kewei, Liu, Ruiping
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Catalysts; Catalytic activity; Charge density; Co 3O 4; Cobalt oxides; Density functional theory; Discharge; Electron transfer; Electronic structure; Evolution; Fe 2O 3; Heterostructures; interfacial engineering; Li‐O 2 batteries; Nanotechnology; nano‐heterostructures; Oxygen; Reaction kinetics; Reduction; Stability
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202205532

A major issue with Li‐O2 batteries is their slow oxygen reduction and evolution kinetics, necessitating catalysts with high catalytic activity to improve reaction kinetics and cycle stability. Herein, a nano‐heterostructured catalyst composed of Co3O4 and Fe2O3 (Co3O4/Fe2O3) with a porous rod morphology is achieved through an interfacial engineering strategy by constructing Fe2O3 on the Co3O4 surface, which can function as a high‐performance cathode in order to efficiently encourage the oxygen reduction and evolution while also reduce the battery polarization during charging and discharging. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations show the differences in charge density at the interface of nano‐heterostructures, demonstrating the occurrence of an electron transfer process in the interface region of Co3O4 and Fe2O3, implying a strong electronic coupling transfer, and in turn changing the electronic structure of the Co3O4. This significantly reduces the adsorption energy of LiO2 intermediates, thereby effectively lowering the overpotential. The resultant Li‐O2 battery has larger discharge specific capacity, lower overpotential for the efficient oxygen evolution/reduction, as well as good cycling stability of 280 cycles. This work demonstrates an effective method to fabricate the nano‐heterostrucutred materials with enhanced catalytic efficiency for advanced energy applications. Boosting the performance with Co3O4/Fe2O3 nano‐heterostructure via interface engineering for Li‐O2 batteries.