Issue 38, 2020

A hybrid transition metal nanocrystal-embedded graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet system as a superior oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable Zn–air batteries

Abstract

In this study, we, for the first time, demonstrate a general solid-phase pyrolysis method to synthesize hybrid transition metal nanocrystal-embedded graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets, namely M-CNNs, as a highly efficient oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable Zn–air batteries (ZABs). The ratios between metallic acetylacetonates and the g-C3N4 precursor can be controlled where Fe-CNNs−0.7, Ni-CNNs−0.7 and Co-NNs−0.7 composites have been optimized to exhibit superior ORR/OER bifunctional electrocatalytic activities. Specifically, Co-CNNs−0.7 exhibited not only a comparable half-wave potential (0.803 V vs. RHE) to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst (0.832 V) with a larger current density for the ORR but also a lower overpotential (440 mV) toward the OER compared with the commercial IrO2 catalyst (460 mV), revealing impressive application in rechargeable ZABs. As a result, ZABs using Co-CNNs−0.7 as the cathode exhibited an excellent peak power density of 85.3 mW cm−2 with a specific capacity of 675.7 mA h g−1 and remarkable cycling stability of 1000 cycles, outperforming the commercially available Pt/C + IrO2 catalysts. This study highlights the synergy from heterointerfaces in oxygen electrocatalysis, thus providing a promising approach for advanced metal–air cathode materials.

Graphical abstract: A hybrid transition metal nanocrystal-embedded graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet system as a superior oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable Zn–air batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 May 2020
Accepted
17 Aug 2020
First published
04 Sep 2020

Nanoscale, 2020,12, 19644-19654

A hybrid transition metal nanocrystal-embedded graphitic carbon nitride nanosheet system as a superior oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable Zn–air batteries

W. Niu, J. He, Y. Wang, Q. Sun, W. Liu, L. Zhang, M. Liu, M. Liu and Y. Chueh, Nanoscale, 2020, 12, 19644 DOI: 10.1039/D0NR03987J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements