title: Exploring metal nanoclusters for lithium-oxygen batteries.
abstract: α-MnO2 nanowires modified with dispersed poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-protected Au and Ag nanoclusters (Au-MnO2 and Ag-MnO2) were used for the first time as hybrid oxygen electrocatalysts for nonaqueous lithium-oxygen batteries. The Au-MnO2 and Ag-MnO2 hybrid catalysts surpassed the performance of pristine α-MnO2 nanowires in full-cell tests in the following order: Au-MnO2 > Ag-MnO2 > pristine α-MnO2. Specifically, cells with the Au-MnO2 catalyst could reduce the discharge/charge overpotentials at 100 mA g(-1) to 0.23/1.02 V and deliver discharge/charge capacities of 5784/5020 mAh g(-1). They could also be cycled for at least 60 times at the depth of discharge of 1000 mAh g(-1). The good full cell performance demonstrated the effectiveness of Au/Ag nanoclusters in promoting oxygen electrocatalysis on α-MnO2; forming discharge products with more reactive morphologies. It is therefore worthwhile to explore the use of Au and Ag nanoclusters in other catalyst systems for oxygen electrocatalysis in nonaqueous solutions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore , 10 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119260, Singapore.
authors.forename: Meihua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jianglan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Qiaofeng
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Chaohe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Jim Yang
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: gold nanocluster; lithium−oxygen batteries; manganese dioxide; oxygen electrocatalyst; silver nanocluster