Highly safe and stable Li-CO2 batteries using conducting ceramic solid electrolyte and MWCNT composite cathode

This study demonstrates a Li-CO2 battery with lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP) solid electrolyte and carbon cloth-based multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) cathode. The LATP powder is synthesized by a facile solution-based method. The structural properties of as-prepared LATP are evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement analysis. The ionic conductivity of the LATP pellet is measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and found to be ~5.43 x 10(-4) S cm(-1). Further, the morphology of the carbon cathodes with MWCNTs is examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical performance is evaluated by galvanostatic tests at a current density of 60 mA g(-1) with a cut-off capacity of 600 mAh g(-1) for 50 cycles. The test results signify the high performance and good cyclic stability. The Li-CO2 cell has delivered a maximum capacity of 5255 mAh g(-1). Finally, to investigate further, post mortem analysis is carried out in which the discharge products are thoroughly characterized by Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS). This work also introduces a new geometry for Li-CO2 batteries with LATP as the solid electrolyte, enabling the development of all-solid-state batteries.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates a Li-CO2 battery with a solid electrolyte of lithium aluminum titanium phosphate (LATP) and a carbon cloth-based cathode with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The battery exhibits high performance and good cyclic stability, delivering a maximum capacity of 5255 mAh g(-1). The study also introduces a new geometry for Li-CO2 batteries, enabling the development of all-solid-state batteries.