Conducting polymer-doped polyprrrole as an effective cathode catalyst for Li-O2 batteries

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Doped polypyrrole as cathode catalysts for Li-O{sub 2} batteries. • Polypyrrole has an excellent redox capability to activate oxygen reduction. • Chloride doped polypyrrole demonstrated an improved catalytic performance in Li-O{sub 2} batteries. - Abstract: Polypyrrole conducting polymers with different dopants have been synthesized and applied as the cathode catalyst in Li-O{sub 2} batteries. Polypyrrole polymers exhibited an effective catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction in lithium oxygen batteries. It was discovered that dopant significantly influenced the electrochemical performance of polypyrrole. The polypyrrole doped with Cl{sup −} demonstrated higher capacity and more stable cyclability than that doped with ClO{sub 4}{sup −}. Polypyrrole conducting polymers also exhibited higher capacity and better cycling performance than that of carbon black catalysts.