A free standing Ru-TiC nanowire array/carbon textile cathode with enhanced stability for Li-O₂ batteries

The instability of carbon cathode materials is one of the key problems that hinder the development of lithium-air/lithium-oxygen (Li-O₂) batteries. In this contribution, a type of TiC-based cathode is developed as a suitable alternative to carbon based cathodes, and its stability with respect to its surface properties is investigated. Here, a free-standing TiC nanowire array cathode was in situ grown on a carbon textile, covering its exposed surface. The TiC nanowire array, via deposition with Ru nanoparticles, showed enhanced oxygen reduction/evolution activity and cyclability, compared to the one without Ru modification. The battery performance of the Li-O₂ cells with Ru-TiC was investigated by using in operando synchrotron radiation powder X-ray diffraction (SR-PXD) during a full cycle. With the aid of surface analysis, the role of the cathode substrate and surface modification is demonstrated. The presented results are a further step toward a wise design of stable cathodes for Li-O₂ batteries.