Lewis-Acidic PtIr Multipods Enable High-Performance Li–O₂ Batteries

The sluggish oxygen reaction kinetics concomitant with the high overpotentials and parasitic reactions from cathodes and solvents is the major challenge in aprotic lithium-oxygen (Li–O₂) batteries. Herein, PtIr multipods with a low Lewis acidity of the Pt atoms are reported as an advanced cathode for improving overpotentials and stabilities. DFT calculations disclose that electrons have a strong disposition to transfer from Ir to Pt, since Pt has a higher electronegativity than Ir, resulting in a lower Lewis acidity of the Pt atoms than that on the pure Pt surface. The low Lewis acidity of Pt atoms on the PtIr surface entails a high electron density and a down-shifting of the d-band center, thereby weakening the binding energy towards intermediates (LiO₂), which is the key in achieving low oxygen-reduction-reaction (ORR) and oxygen-evolution-reaction (OER) overpotentials. The Li–O₂ cell based on PtIr electrodes exhibits a very low overall discharge/charge overpotential (0.44 V) and an excellent cycle life (180 cycles), outperforming the bulk of reported noble-metal-based cathodes.