Cyclically Regenerated Solid-State Bulk-Phase Electrocatalyst for Fast-Charging Lithium-lon Batteries

Catalysts are pivotal in enhancing reaction kinetics across various domains, including energy conversion and storage. However, their application in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has been largely unexplored, primarily due to the challenges posed by solid-solid conversion reactions in bulk electrode materials, and electrochemical instability and passivation of electrocatalysts during cycling. Herein, this study presents that Co atom clusters (Co_ac) cyclically regenerate from a designed heterostructure of bimetallic selenides anode (CoSe-ZnSe) during electrochemical lithiation process as a novel and effective solid-state bulk-phase electrocatalyst can significantly accelerate conversion reactions of ZnSe anode for fast-charging LIBs. The propose strategy overcomes the bottlenecks in solid-state bulk-phase catalyst design, imparting Co_ac catalyst with high catalytic efficiency, full-voltage-range electrochemical stability and anti-passivation during long-cycling test. With catalytic effect of Co_ac, the batteries demonstrate fast-charging performance such as unprecedented rate capability up to 50 A g^-1, as well as high-rate long cyclability (3000 cycles at 10 A g^-1).