High surface area LaMnO3 nanoparticles enhancing electrochemical catalytic activity for rechargeable lithium-air batteries

To improve sluggish kinetics of ORR and OER (oxygen reduction and evolution reaction) on the air electrode, the high surface area LaMnO3 nanoparticle catalysts were synthesized by sol-gel method. The specific surface area of as-synthesized pure phase LaMnO3 nanoparticles is 21.21 m2 g−1. The onset potential of high surface area LaMnO3 in alkaline solution is −0.0202 V which is comparable to commercial Pt/C. When the assembled high surface area LaMnO3-based lithium-air batteries were measured at 100 mA g−1, the initial discharge specific capacity could reach 6851.9 mA h g−1(carbon). In addition, lithium-oxygen batteries including high surface area LaMnO3 catalysts could be cycled for 52 cycles at 200 mA g−1 under a limited discharge-charge depth of 500 mA h gcarbon−1.