Catalytic role of in-situ formed C-N species for enhanced Li₂CO₃ decomposition.

Abstract

Sluggish kinetics of the CO₂ reduction/evolution reactions lead to the accumulation of Li₂CO₃ residuals and thus possible catalyst deactivation, which hinders the long-term cycling stability of Li-CO₂ batteries. Apart from catalyst design, constructing a fluorinated solid-electrolyte interphase is a conventional strategy to minimize parasitic reactions and prolong cycle life. However, the catalytic effects of solid-electrolyte interphase components have been overlooked and remain unclear. Herein, we systematically regulate the compositions of solid-electrolyte interphase via tuning electrolyte solvation structures, anion coordination, and binding free energy between Li ion and anion. The cells exhibit distinct improvement in cycling performance with increasing content of C-N species in solid-electrolyte interphase layers. The enhancement originates from a catalytic effect towards accelerating the Li₂CO₃ formation/decomposition kinetics. Theoretical analysis reveals that C-N species provide strong adsorption sites and promote charge transfer from interface to *CO₂^2- during discharge, and from Li₂CO₃ to C-N species during charge, thereby building a bidirectional fast-reacting bridge for CO₂ reduction/evolution reactions. This finding enables us to design a C-N rich solid-electrolyte interphase via dual-salt electrolytes, improving cycle life of Li-CO₂ batteries to twice that using traditional electrolytes. Our work provides an insight into interfacial design by tuning of catalytic properties towards CO₂ reduction/evolution reactions.