Enhanced ORR Activity of Modified Recycled Graphite-Based Anode Materials
Sukanya Sukanya, Kimia Hoseinzade, Frederik Bettels, Lin Zhang, René Wilhelm
TL;DR
This paper shows how to recycle old battery graphite into a metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reactions, improving energy device efficiency.
Contribution
A circular-economy strategy is introduced to upcycle spent lithium-ion battery graphite into a tunable, metal-free ORR catalyst.
Findings
Acid activation of graphite increases defect density and ORR activity, achieving a half-wave potential of 0.782 V.
Functionalization with NDI-ASP improves kinetic current density and charge-transfer characteristics compared to acid-treated graphite.
XPS and SEM/EDX confirm successful incorporation of nitrogen- and phosphorus-containing species on the graphite surface.
Abstract
Addressing the kinetic limitations of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential for improving the efficiency of electrochemical energy-conversion devices such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Here, we demonstrate a circular-economy–oriented upcycling strategy for transforming end-of-life lithium-ion battery graphite anodes into metal-free ORR catalysts through oxidative activation and targeted molecular functionalization. Spent graphite anode material was activated by using H2SO4/HNO3 mixtures to increase defect density and surface reactivity, followed by surface functionalization with BPDI-OH-Cl, NDI-alendronic acid (NDI-ALEN), and NDI-aspartic acid (NDI-ASP). Acid activation significantly enhanced apparent ORR activity, yielding the highest half-wave potential (0.782 V for the 8 M acid-treated material), attributed to increased defect density and improved electrolyte…
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Taxonomy
TopicsAdvancements in Battery Materials · Advanced Battery Materials and Technologies · Fiber-reinforced polymer composites