A novel CaCO₃-embedded carbon cathode for highly energy-efficient Li–O₂ batteries

Rechargeable Li‒O₂ batteries have attracted considerable attention owing to their high specific energy density compared to those of other lithium secondary batteries. However, the high charging overpotential remains one of the challenges for the application of Li-O₂ batteries in specific energy storage systems. To solve this problem, various catalyst materials such as metal/metal oxides (Pt, Au, MnO₂, CuO, etc.) have been developed. In this study, a new CaCO₃ catalyst embedded in carbon is investigated for the first time for a nonaqueous Li‒O₂ battery application. The overpotential of the Li‒O₂ cell containing the CaCO₃-embedded carbon cathode decreases by ~ 6.5% on an average over 40 cycles.