MnCo₂O₄ Anchored on P-Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon as an Electrocatalyst for High-Performance Rechargeable Li–O₂ Batteries

The design and synthesis of MnCo2O4 anchored on P-doped hierarchical porous carbon (MCO/P-HPC) is reported. Without harsh oxidative treatment, creating anchoring sites for MnCo2O4 on the surface of carbon is realized by P-doping in carbon. The chemical coupling between P-HPC and MCO induced by P-doping provides pathways for fast charge transport. This hybrid with a hierarchical porous structure favors efficient electrolyte penetration, oxygen transport, and effective accommodation of insoluble discharge product Li2O2. When employed as an electrocatalyst in rechargeable Li–O2 batteries, the MCO/P-HPC hybrid delivers a high discharge capacity (13 150 mAh g–1 at 200 mA g–1), excellent rate capability (7028 mAh g–1 at 1000 mA g–1), and long cycle stability (200 cycles at a capacity of 1000 mAh g–1 under 200 mA g–1).