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US-20260128297-A1 - ELECTROCATALYSTS ON CARBON CLOTH SYNTHESIZED BY ELECTRODEPOSITION METHOD

US20260128297A1US 20260128297 A1US20260128297 A1US 20260128297A1US-20260128297-A1

Abstract

An electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery is disclosed, as well as a method to synthesize an electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery. The electrode includes an electrocatalyst which may include a manganese-based transition metal oxide, where the electrocatalyst is supported by a carbon cloth. The electrocatalyst is nanostructured, in the form of a nanosheet, and the manganese-based transition metal oxide has a chemical formula of AMn 2 O 4 , in which A is selected from nickel, zinc, or cobalt. The electrocatalyst has a dimension of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm. The electrocatalyst may include a crystal structure including a spinel phase. Methods include preparing a metal hydroxide precursor having a manganese-based transition metal oxide, precipitating the metal hydroxide precursor onto a carbon cloth, calcinating the metal hydroxide precursor onto the carbon cloth, and forming a manganese-based transition metal electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery.

Inventors

  • Jianda Wang
  • Shuya WEI

Assignees

  • UNM RAINFOREST INNOVATIONS

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251106

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery, comprising: an electrocatalyst comprising a manganese-based transition metal oxide; and wherein the electrocatalyst is supported by a carbon cloth.
  2. 2 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst is nanostructured.
  3. 3 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the manganese-based transition metal oxide has a chemical formula of AMn 2 O 4 , in which A is selected from nickel, zinc, or cobalt.
  4. 4 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst has a dimension of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm.
  5. 5 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst is in the form of a nanosheet.
  6. 6 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the lithium-carbon dioxide battery has a discharge capacity of from about 8,000 to about 16,000 mAh/g.
  7. 7 . The electrode of claim 1 , wherein the electrocatalyst comprises a crystal structure comprising a spinel phase.
  8. 8 . A method to synthesize an electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery, comprising: preparing a metal hydroxide precursor having a manganese-based transition metal oxide; precipitating the metal hydroxide precursor onto a carbon cloth; calcinating the metal hydroxide precursor onto the carbon cloth; and forming a manganese-based transition metal electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal hydroxide precursor has a chemical formula of AMn 2 O 4 , wherein A is selected from nickel, zinc, or cobalt.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal hydroxide precursor is precipitated onto the carbon cloth using an electrodeposition method.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein calcinating the metal hydroxide comprises exposing the metal hydroxide precursor to a temperature above 400° C.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the metal hydroxide precursor comprises Mn 2 (OH) 4 .
  13. 13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein preparing the metal hydroxide precursor comprises forming the metal hydroxide precursor by combining ANO 3 and Mn 2 O 3 .
  14. 14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the electrode comprises a manganese-based transition metal electrocatalyst in the form of a nanosheet.
  15. 15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the manganese-based transition metal electrocatalyst comprises a crystal structure comprising a spinel phase.
  16. 16 . A lithium-carbon dioxide battery, comprising: at least one electrode having an electrocatalyst supported by a carbon cloth; and wherein the electrocatalyst includes a manganese-based transition metal oxide.
  17. 17 . The lithium-carbon dioxide battery of claim 16 , wherein the electrocatalyst has a nanostructure.
  18. 18 . The lithium-carbon dioxide battery of claim 16 , wherein the manganese-based transition metal oxide has a chemical formula of AMn 2 O 4 , in which A is selected from nickel, zinc, or cobalt.
  19. 19 . The lithium-carbon dioxide battery of claim 16 , wherein the electrocatalyst has a dimension of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm.
  20. 20 . The lithium-carbon dioxide battery of claim 16 , wherein the electrocatalyst is in the form of a nanosheet.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/717,437, filed on Nov. 7, 2024, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST This invention was made with government support under grant number 2119688 awarded by the National Science Foundation. The government has certain rights in the invention. TECHNICAL FIELD The present teachings relate generally to electrocatalysts for rechargeable batteries and, more particularly, to rechargeable batteries incorporating manganese-based transition metal oxides. BACKGROUND One challenge in contemporary society is the greenhouse effect resulting from elevated atmospheric CO2 levels. Consequently, it is a necessary requirement to develop high-efficiency and cost-effective technologies to reduce CO2 concentrations. For example, chemical adsorption methods based on amine or alkaline solutions are reported to capture and fix CO2. However, their high cost and low efficiency pose significant barriers to large-scale applications. Fortunately, lithium-carbon dioxide (Li—CO2) batteries have become a promising technology to capture and convert CO2. Additionally, Li—CO2 batteries are regarded as excellent energy conversion devices, capable of supplying electrical energy to help alleviate the problem of energy shortages. Rechargeable Li—CO2 batteries face challenges of sluggish reaction kinetic and poor rechargeability. Highly efficient electrocatalysts are urgently needed to decompose the discharge product, Li2CO3. Transition metal oxides are regarded as promising candidates for improving cycle performance and reaction kinetic of Li—CO2 batteries. Notably, morphology engineering plays a vital role in enhancing electrocatalytic performance by tuning the structure of the electrode. The morphology of battery electrode materials can influence their electrochemical performance by shaping how ions and electrons move and react. Nanostructured and porous morphologies can provide increased surface area and active sites, accelerating reaction rates and improving battery capacity. By directing specific crystal facets and controlling defects reaction pathways and lower overpotentials can be fine-tuned, while interconnected structures enhance electrical conductivity. Some morphologies, such as nanowires or nanoplates designs, maintain structural integrity during cycling. A combination of these factors can optimize charge transfer, ion transport, and durability, resulting in more efficient and longer-lasting batteries. Therefore, it is desirable to develop improved electrocatalytic performance of transition metal-based transition metal oxides via morphology engineering, and also demonstrate a general selection principle for next-generation electrocatalysts for metal-CO2 batteries. SUMMARY The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of one or more embodiments of the present teachings. This summary is not an extensive overview, nor is it intended to identify key or critical elements of the present teachings, nor to delineate the scope of the disclosure. Rather, its primary purpose is merely to present one or more concepts in simplified form as a prelude to the detailed description presented later. An electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery is disclosed. The electrode includes an electrocatalyst which may include a manganese-based transition metal oxide, and where the electrocatalyst is supported by a carbon cloth. Implementations of the electrode can include where the electrocatalyst is nanostructured. The manganese-based transition metal oxide has a chemical formula of AMn2O4, in which A is selected from nickel, zinc, or cobalt. The electrocatalyst has a dimension of from about 1 nm to about 100 nm. The electrocatalyst is in the form of a nanosheet. The lithium-carbon dioxide battery has a discharge capacity of 12,274 mAh/g. The electrocatalyst may include a crystal structure including a spinel phase. A method to synthesize an electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery is disclosed. The method to synthesize an electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery includes preparing a metal hydroxide precursor having a manganese-based transition metal oxide, precipitating the metal hydroxide precursor onto a carbon cloth, calcinating the metal hydroxide precursor onto the carbon cloth, and forming a manganese-based transition metal electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery. Implementations of the method to synthesize an electrode for a lithium-carbon dioxide battery can include where the metal hydroxide precursor has a chemical formula of AMn2O4, where A is selected from nickel, zinc, or cobalt. The metal hydroxide precursor is precipitated onto the carbon cloth using an electrodeposition method. Calcinating the metal hydroxide may include exposing the metal hydroxide precursor to a temperature above 400° C. The metal hy