In-situ electrochemical functionalization of carbon materials for high-performance Li–O2 batteries

The development of effective synthetic routes is important to manifest proper nature of specific materials. In-situ electrochemical functionalization possesses great advantages over conventional routes, especially facile way and leading to reaching elaborate sites of functional group. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of functionalized carbons by in-situ electrochemical reduction in an argon atmosphere for application in low-cost, environmentally benign, and high-performance oxygen-electrodes for non-aqueous Li–O2 batteries. A Li–O2 battery with functionalized carbon shows a high discharge capacity (100 times that of pristine carbon), high power and cycling stability. The outstanding performance is attributed to the high O2 affinity of the functionalized carbon surface that facilitates the formation of soluble and diffusible superoxide intermediates by the reduction of the remaining O2 competing with surface growth for Li2O2 formation.