The Spin-Selective Channels in Fully-Exposed PtFe Clusters Enable Fast Cathodic Kinetics of Li-O2 Battery

Abstract

In Li-O₂ batteries (LOBs), the electron transfer between triplet O₂ and singlet Li₂O₂ possesses a spin-dependent character but is still neglected, while the spin-conserved electron transfer without losing phase information should guarantee fast kinetics and reduced energy barriers. Here, we provide a paradigm of spin-selective catalysis for LOB that the ferromagnetic quantum spin exchange interactions between Pt and Fe atoms in fully-exposed PtFe clusters filter directional e-spins for spin-conserved electron transfer at Fe−Fe sites. The kinetics of O₂/Li₂O₂ redox reaction is markedly accelerated as predicted by theoretical calculations, showing dramatically decreased relaxation time of the rate determining step for more than one order of magnitude, compared with the Fe clusters without spin-selective behavior. In consequence, the assembled LOB provides ultrahigh energy conversion efficiency of 89.6 % at 100 mA g⁻¹ under a discharge-charge overpotential of only 0.32 V. This work provides new insights into the spin-dependent mechanisms of O₂/Li₂O₂ redox reaction, and the strategy of constructing spin catalysts at atomic level.