High surface area, mesoporous carbon for low-polarization, catalyst-free lithium oxygen battery

•Low polarization, catalyst-free lithium–oxygen battery is reported.•Mesoporous carbon electrode with high surface area is used.•Amorphous lithium peroxide is formed during the electrochemical process.•The lithium–oxygen battery has a reversible capacity of 2000 mAh g− 1.•The cell shows a low charge discharge polarization and high energy efficiency.

Here we report a low polarization, catalyst-free lithium–oxygen battery using mesoporous carbon electrode. BET analysis, SEM and TEM images evidence that the carbon material has surface area as high as 1500 m2 g-1 and a uniform distribution of nanometric pores. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction analysis and TEM images of the reaction products show that the favourable effect of the mesoporous carbon is due to the formation of amorphous nano-particles of lithium peroxide during the electrochemical process. The results of this study clearly indicate the important role of the carbon matrix in determining a favourable morphology of the lithium–oxygen reaction product that leads to enhanced cell behaviour.