Issue 48, 2023

The promotional effect of multiple active sites on Fe-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for a zinc–air battery

Abstract

The in-depth understanding of the functions and interactions of multiple transition metal-based species in non-noble metal electrocatalysts is still obscure and challenges the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we rationally developed a Hm/Cy@C-900 electrocatalyst comprising multiple iron active sites of FeSx and Fe3C clusters and FeNx sites, which was characterized using XRD, S/TEM, and Mössbauer analyses. Hm/Cy@C-900 exhibited a high ORR performance (E1/2 0.845 V vs. RHE) in an O2-saturated KOH electrolyte, which outperformed the Hm/TCA@C-900 counterpart and commercial Pt–C electrocatalysts. Furthermore, the equipped zinc–air battery (ZAB) of Hm/Cy@C-900 could reach a power density of 192 mW cm−2@260.7 mA cm−2, which is much more efficient than that of Hm/TCA@C-900 (131 mW cm−2@201.2 mA cm−2) and a 20 wt% Pt–C catalyst (109 mW cm−2@221.3 mA cm−2). The superior ORR performance of Hm/Cy@C-900 was attributed to the promotional effect of FeSx and Fe3C clusters with FeNx active sites. Our work provides a rational design for and in-depth synthesis of FeNSC electrocatalysts for promoting the ZAB activity.

Graphical abstract: The promotional effect of multiple active sites on Fe-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for a zinc–air battery

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Jul 2023
Accepted
14 Nov 2023
First published
14 Nov 2023

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023,11, 26573-26579

The promotional effect of multiple active sites on Fe-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for a zinc–air battery

Z. Li, Y. Xie, J. Gao, X. Zhang, J. Zhang, Y. Liu and G. Li, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 26573 DOI: 10.1039/D3TA03926A

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