Decreasing the Overpotential of Aprotic Li‐CO<sub>2</sub> Batteries with the In‐Plane Alloy Structure in Ultrathin 2D Ru‐Based Nanosheets
Yunhao Wang, Jingwen Zhou, Chao Lin, Bo Chen, Zhiqiang Guan, Amani M. Ebrahim, Guannan Qian, Chenliang Ye, Lin Chen, Yiyao Ge, Qinbai Yun, Xixi Wang, Xichen Zhou, Gang Wang, Kedi Li, Pengyi Lu, Yangbo Ma, Yuecheng Xiong, Tianshuai Wang, Long Zheng, Shengqi Chu, Ye Chen, Bin Wang, Chun‐Sing Lee, Yijin Liu, Qianfan Zhang, Zhanxi Fan
Abstract
Abstract The aprotic Li‐CO 2 battery is emerging as a promising energy storage technology with the capability of CO 2 fixation and conversion. However, its practical applications are still impeded by the large overpotential. Herein, the general synthesis of a series of ultrathin 2D Ru‐M (M = Co, Ni, and Cu) nanosheets by a facile one‐pot solvothermal method is reported. As a proof‐of‐concept application, the representative RuCo nanosheets are used as the cathode catalysts for Li‐CO 2 batteries, which demonstrate a low charge voltage of 3.74 V, a small overpotential of 0.94 V, and hence a high energy efficiency of 75%. Ex/in situ studies and density functional theory calculations reveal that the excellent catalytic performance of RuCo nanosheets originates from the enhanced adsorption toward Li and CO 2 during discharge as well as the elevated electron interaction with Li 2 CO 3 during charge by the in‐plane RuCo alloy structure. This work indicates the feasibility of boosting the electrochemical performance of Li‐CO 2 batteries by in‐plane metal alloy sites of ultrathin 2D alloy nanomaterials.