title: Ultrafine Mn3O4Nanowires/Three-Dimensional Graphene/Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Composites: Superior Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and Enhanced Mg/Air Batteries.
abstract: The exploration of highly efficient catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction to improve sluggish kinetics still remains a great challenge for advanced energy conversion and storage in metal/air batteries. In this work, ultrafine Mn3O4nanowires/three-dimensional graphene/single-walled carbon nanotube catalysts with an electron transfer number of 3.95 (at 0.60 V vs Ag/AgCl) and kinetic current density of 21.7-28.8 mA cm-2were developed via a microwave-irradiation-assisted hexadecyl trimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant procedure to greatly enhance the overall catalytic performance in Mg/air batteries. To match the electrochemical activity of the cathode catalysts, a large-scale Mg anode prepared with micropersimmon-like particles via a mechanical disintegrator and Mg(NO3)2-NaNO2-based electrolyte containing 1.0 wt % trihexyl(tetradecyl)phosphonium chloride ionic liquid were applied. Combining the ultrafine Mn3O4nanowires/three-dimensional graphene/single-walled carbon nanotube as an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction and an Mg micro-/nanoscale anode in the novel electrolyte, the advanced Mg/air batteries demonstrated a high cell open circuit voltage (1.49 V), a high plateau voltage (1.34 V), and a long discharge time (4177 min) at 0.2 mA cm-1, showing a high energy density. Therefore, it is believed that this device configuration has great potential for application in new energy storage technologies.
authors.affiliation: College of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology , Tangshan City, Hebei Province 063009, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Chun-Sheng
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology , Tangshan City, Hebei Province 063009, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Advanced Energy Materials Chemistry (Ministry of Education), Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), College of Chemistry, Nankai University , Tianjin 300071, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Jia-Zhao
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, University of Wollongong , Wollongong, New South Wales 2522, Australia.
authors.forename: Shu-Lei
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Chou
keywords: 3D graphene/single-walled carbon nanotube catalysts; Mg/air batteries; Mn3O4 nanowires; energy storage and conversion; microwave irradiation strategy