The p‐n‐type PANI/ZnS heterostructure utilizing quantum dot network to achieve low‐overpotential photo‐assisted lithium–oxygen battery

Abstract The lithium‐oxygen battery (LOB) is a promising source of green energy due to its energy density. However, the development of this technology is limited by the insoluble discharge product it produces. In this work, a cathode material with a p‐n heterostructure of polyaniline (PANI)/ZnS is prepared to trap visible light, utilizing a ZnS quantum dot (ZnS QD) network to form a large number of photogenerated electron–hole pairs, thus promoting the generation and decomposition of Li 2 O 2 . The prepared PANI/ZnS has an ultra‐low overpotential of 0.06 V under illumination. Furthermore, density functional theory theoretical calculation has demonstrated the ability of the heterostructures to adsorb oxygen‐containing intermediates, which not only facilitates the growth of Li 2 O 2 , but also reduces the reaction energy required to decompose Li 2 O 2 . The present work provides a solution to the problem of insolubility of discharge products in photo‐assisted LOB.