N, F Co‐Doped Carbon Material Self‐Supporting Cathode for High‐Performance Lithium‐Oxygen Batteries

The Li‐O 2 battery has emerged as a promising energy storage system due to its exceptionally high theoretical energy density of 3500 Wh kg −1 . However, the sluggish kinetics associated with the formation and decomposition of discharge product Li 2 O 2 poses several challenges in Li‐O 2 batteries, including excessive over‐potential, limited rate performance, and reduced actual specific energy. Consequently, the development of cost‐effective cathode catalysts with enhanced catalytic activity and long‐term stability represents a viable approach to address these challenges. In this study, commercial melamine foam is utilized as a precursor material which was subjected to pyrolysis at elevated temperatures with PVDF to synthesize N, F co‐doped self‐supporting carbon cathode (NF‐NSC). Remarkably, thanks to the synergistic effects of N, F heteroatomic in conjunction with the inherent three‐dimensional reticular porous structure, NF‐NSC exhibited enhanced electrochemical performance when utilized in Li‐O 2 batteries. Specifically, the NF‐NSC cathode demonstrated an impressive discharge specific capacity of up to 35204 mAh g −1 alongside a low over‐potential (0.86 V) and excellent cycling stability (146 cycles).