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

Sluggish kinetics of the CO 2 reduction/evolution reactions lead to the accumulation of Li 2 CO 3 residuals and thus possible catalyst deactivation, which hinders the long-term cycling stability of Li-CO 2 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 Li 2 CO 3 formation/decomposition kinetics. Theoretical analysis reveals that C-N species provide strong adsorption sites and promote charge transfer from interface to *CO 2 2− during discharge, and from Li 2 CO 3 to C-N species during charge, thereby building a bidirectional fast-reacting bridge for CO 2 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-CO 2 batteries to twice that using traditional electrolytes. Our work provides an insight into interfacial design by tuning of catalytic properties towards CO 2 reduction/evolution reactions. Sluggish kinetics of the CO 2 reactions lead to the accumulation of Li 2 CO 3 residuals, which hinders the cycling stability of Li-CO 2 batteries. Here, the authors reveal the catalytic role of in-situ formed C-N species in enhancing the reversibility of Li 2 CO 3 and cycle life of Li-CO 2 batteries.