Issue 10, 2019

Highly nanocrystalline interconnected La0.5Ca0.5CoO3−δ as an efficient bi-functional electrocatalyst for zinc–air batteries with structural and morphological evidence for ZnO mitigation

Abstract

Nanocrystalline calcium-doped lanthanum cobaltate (La0.5Ca0.5CoO3−δ (nano LCCO)) synthesized by an energy efficient solution combustion method is evaluated as a cathode catalyst in zinc–air batteries. The catalyst exhibits encouraging oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution activities in an alkaline medium. Rotating disc electrode experiments show the exceptional bi-functional activity of nano LCCO (1.14 V) compared to bulk LCCO and nano LCO and is comparable to that of state of the art Pt/C and RuO2. Moreover, nano LCCO demonstrates excellent catalytic activity in zinc–air batteries at 5 mA cm−2 current density by consuming open air. A primary zinc–air battery displays a discharge capacity of 270 mA h g−1 for over 5.4 h. Rechargeable zinc–air batteries show stable electrochemical activity over 50 charge–discharge cycles and an enhanced rate performance of up to 20 mA cm−2. Post-mortem analysis of the anode and cathode catalyst by XRD and FE-SEM depicts ZnO formation and a few strategies to suppress ZnO formation have been discussed, which results in enhanced cycling stability and C-rate performance. The results presented herein make nano LCCO a highly efficient and feasible bi-functional catalyst for rechargeable zinc–air battery applications.

Graphical abstract: Highly nanocrystalline interconnected La0.5Ca0.5CoO3−δ as an efficient bi-functional electrocatalyst for zinc–air batteries with structural and morphological evidence for ZnO mitigation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Feb 2019
Accepted
11 Jul 2019
First published
13 Jul 2019

Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2019,3, 2657-2667

Highly nanocrystalline interconnected La0.5Ca0.5CoO3−δ as an efficient bi-functional electrocatalyst for zinc–air batteries with structural and morphological evidence for ZnO mitigation

I. Kanagaraj, P. Moni and A. S. Prakash, Sustainable Energy Fuels, 2019, 3, 2657 DOI: 10.1039/C9SE00125E

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