Fabrication of porous carbon nanofibers decorated Ru nanoparticles: enhancing electrochemical performance for Li-O2 battery

Abstract The synthesis of Ru nanoparticles-decorated porous carbon nanofibers (PCNF) for the negative electrode of high-performance Li-O2 batteries was achieved using electrospinning and solvothermal reaction. The process entailed utilizing electrospinning to combine polyacrylonitrile (PAN) with cross-linked poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) colloids. During the carbonization of electrospun PAN-PMMA nanofibers, the PMMA template decomposes and opening-macropores are created inside the CNF, which may provide more sites for Li-O 2 reaction. Additionally, Ru nanoparticles are decorated along the MCNF (RuNP-PCNF) as catalysts for Li-O 2 reactions. Afterwards, the RuNP-PCNF mats are directly used in Li-O 2 battery as free-standing cathode. The battery performance of the RuNP-PCNF such as discharge capacity, cyclability and O 2 efficiency are examined. The lithium batteries with the RuNP-PCNF electrode exhibits much higher complete capacity of 9400 mAh/g compared to the set utilizing the bare CNF electrode (4079 mAh/g) at a current density of 0.2 mA/g. Furthermore, the cell with RuNP-PCNF cathode can maintain for 340 cycles discharge/recharge with a cutoff of 1 Ah/g at 0.5 A/g. These findings indicate a practical and effective method to enhance the potential use of PCNF as cathode for Li-O 2 battery. Developing new materials for batteries is also an integral mission for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), as it contributes to ensuring access to sustainable energy.