Mesoporous CoO/Co–N–C nanofibers as efficient cathode catalysts for Li–O2 batteries

To meet the needs of promising rechargeable Li–O2 batteries as future candidates for power storage, designing cathodes with high efficiency, low cost and good durability is crucial in order to conquer the difficulties of the battery systems. Herein, we propose an effective method employing the electrospinning technique, followed by one-step annealing, to obtain CoO and Co nanoparticles decorated with nitrogen/oxygen (N/O) dual-doping carbon nanofibers for cathode catalysts in Li–O2 batteries. Integration of the mesoporous nanostructure and large specific surface area, homogeneous N/O dual-doping, decoration with large irregular CoO species and encapsulation of small Co nanoparticles within a graphitic shell are thought to be responsible for the following properties: controlled side reactions, optimized electrochemical performance with an outstanding capacity of 8798.6 mA h g−1 and an excellent reversibility of more than 140 cycles at a fixed capacity of 600 mA h g−1. This work provides a new method for obtaining carbon-based metal oxides/metal nanomaterials as efficient cathode catalysts for Li–O2 battery applications.