Carbon-coated FeCoNi nanocatalysts for the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

Developing low-cost, high-activity transition metal-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts to replace noble metals in oxygen reduction reactions continues to pose a notable difficulty in the field of research. In this work, a straightforward approach was employed to fabricate Fe, Co, Ni-encapsulated zeolite imidazolate framework (ZIF8) precursors, which were later subjected to pyrolysis to yield carbon-coated FeCoNi nanoparticles (FeCoNi/NC). The obtained FeCoNi/NC catalyst exhibited irregularly distributed nanotubes with abundant active sites on its surface. The electrochemical experiments conducted revealed that the oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline electrolyte exhibited a half-wave potential of 0.84 V (vs. RHE), which is similar to that of the commercially available Pt/C. The self-made Zn–air battery displayed a narrow discharge voltage gap (0.77 V) and exhibited good cycling stability. These findings provide significant contributions to the understanding and development of multi-metallic electrocatalysts derived from zeolite imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs).