Nitrogen-Anchored Boridene Enables Mg–CO<sub>2</sub> Batteries with High Reversibility
Yangyang Wang, Yong Sun, Fengqi Wu, Guo‐Dong Zou, Jean‐Jacques Gaumet, Jinyu Li, Carlos Fernández, Yong Wang, Qiuming Peng
Abstract
Nanoscale defect engineering plays a crucial role in incorporating extraordinary catalytic properties in two-dimensional materials by varying the surface groups or site interactions. Herein, we synthesized high-loaded nitrogen-doped Boridene (N-Boridene (Mo 4/3 (B n N 1– n ) 2– m T z ), N-doped concentration up to 26.78 at %) nanosheets by chemical exfoliation followed by cyanamide intercalation. Three different nitrogen sites are observed in N-Boridene, wherein the site of boron vacancy substitution mainly accounts for its high chemical activity. Attractively, as a cathode for Mg–CO 2 batteries, it delivers a long-term lifetime (305 cycles), high-energy efficiency (93.6%), and ultralow overpotential (∼0.09 V) at a high current of 200 mA g –1, which overwhelms all Mg–CO 2 batteries reported so far. Experimental and computational studies suggest that N-Boridene can remarkably change the adsorption energy of the reaction products and lower the energy barrier of the rate-determining step (*MgCO 2 → *MgCO 3 · x H 2 O), resulting in the rapid reversible formation/decomposition of new MgCO 3 ·5H 2 O products. The surging Boridene materials with defects provide substantial opportunities to develop other heterogeneous catalysts for efficient capture and converting of CO 2 .