FeOOH Nanocubes Anchored on Carbon Ribbons for Use in Li/O Batteries.

A composite of FeOOH nanocubes anchored on carbon ribbons has been synthesized and used as a cathode material for Li/O batteries. Fe ion-exchanged resin serves as a precursor for both FeOOH nanocubes and carbon ribbons, which are formed simultaneously. The as-prepared FeOOH cubes are proposed to have a core-shell structure, with FeOOH as the shell and Prussian blue as the core, based on information from XPS, TEM, and EDS mapping. As a cathode material for Li/O batteries, FeOOH delivers a specific capacity of 14816 mA h g with a cycling stability of 67 cycles over 400 h. The high performance is related to the low overpotential of the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction on FeOOH. The cube structure, the supporting carbon ribbons, and the -OOH moieties all contribute to the low overpotential. The discharge product Li O can be efficiently decomposed in the FeOOH cathode after a charging process, leading to higher cycling stability. Its high activity and stability make FeOOH a good candidate for use in non-aqueous Li/O batteries.