Energy Storage Science and Technology ›› 2022, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (2): 503-510.doi: 10.19799/j.cnki.2095-4239.2021.0383

• Energy Storage Materials and Devices • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Research progress of MOFs and their derivatives as cathode catalysts for Li-O2 batteries

Linhui JIA1,2(), Zejia GAI3, Moxi LI3, Huagen LIANG1,2()   

  1. 1.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, Guangdong, China
    2.Low Carbon Energy Institute, China University of Mining and Technology
    3.School of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221008, Jiangsu, China
  • Received:2021-08-02 Revised:2021-08-25 Online:2022-02-05 Published:2022-02-08
  • Contact: Huagen LIANG E-mail:1320817491@qq.com;lianghg@cumt.edu.cn

Abstract:

The huge demand for long-life power batteries and large-scale energy storage equipment has generated considerable interest in nonaqueous lithium-oxygen batteries (LOB), a promising next-generation rechargeable battery, due to their super-high energy density, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Although extensive research has been conducted in recent decades, issues such as low specific capacity, high discharge/charge overpotential, and poor cycle life remain the challenges for their real commercialization. These critical issues point to the cathode, the location of the electrochemical reaction. During discharge, insoluble insulating discharge products (Li2O2) are deposited on the surface of the cathode, obstructing the diffusion channels of oxygen and electrolyte and covering the catalytic active sites, resulting in the battery's discharge being prematurely terminated. In the charging process, the high charging potential causes the decomposition of carbon materials, electrolytes, and binders, further resulting in the formation of by-products and the rapid decline of battery cycle life. Therefore, the design and investigation of the cathode catalysts with dense pore structure, high conductivity, and high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reactions (ORR/OER), as well as acceptable chemical/electrochemical stability, remain challenging. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and their derivatives are a class of candidate catalysts in Li-O2 batteries due to their flexible chemical composition, high specific surface area, and tailorable pore structure. The strategies discussed in this review include the use of MOF-derived carbon-based materials, MOF-derived single-atom catalysts, and pristine MOFs, which were successfully applied as high-performance cathode catalysts for Li-O2 batteries. Additionally, suggestions are offered for improving the ORR/OER catalytic activity by optimizing the properties of MOFs and their derivatives. Finally, the future research direction of MOFs as cathode catalysts for nonaqueous Li-O2 batteries is discussed.

Key words: Li-O2 battery, cathode, MOFs, bifunctional catalyst, ORR/OER

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