Enhancing the cyclability of Li-O2 batteries using PdM alloy nanoparticles anchored on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene as the cathode catalyst

An efficient ORR/OER catalyst was developed by anchoring highly dispersed bimetallic PdM (M = Fe, Co, Ni) alloy nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (N-rGO). This new type of catalyst exhibited excellent ORR/OER activity, and the addition of transition metals also significantly improved catalytic stability, with the catalyst containing Fe (PdFe/N-rGO) exhibiting the best stability. A battery using this PdFe/N-rGO catalyst was capable of long-term stable cycling for 400 cycles (2000 h) with a limited capacity of 1000 mAh g(-1) at 400 mA g(-1), which was much longer than a battery with Pd/N-rGO as the catalyst (only 80 cycles, 400 h). We attribute the high performance of these catalysts to the high surface area of N-rGO, the anchoring of highly dispersed Pd alloy nanoparticles, and the prevention of Pd alloy nanoparticle aggregation and dissolution by the presence of the transition metals. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.