Tailoring Metal–Oxygen Bonds Boosts Oxygen Reaction Kinetics for High-Performance Zinc–Air Batteries

Abstract

Metal−oxygen bonds significantly affect the oxygen reaction kinetics of metal oxide-based catalysts but still face the bottlenecks of limited cognition and insufficient regulation. Herein, we develop a unique strategy to accurately tailor metal−oxygen bond structure via amorphous/crystalline heterojunction realized by ion-exchange. Compared with pristine amorphous CoSnO 3−y , iron ion-exchange induced amorphous/crystalline structure strengthens the Sn−O bond, weakens the Co−O bond strength, and introduces additional Fe−O bond, accompanied by abundant cobalt defects and optimal oxygen defects with larger pore structure and specific surface area. The optimization of metal− oxygen bond structure is dominated by the introduction of crystal structure and further promoted by the introduction of Fe−O bond and rich Co defect. Remarkably, the Fe doped amorphous/crystalline catalyst (Co 1−x SnO 3−y -Fe 0.021 -A/C) demonstrates excellent oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction activities with a smaller potential gap (ΔE = 0.687 V), and the Zn−air battery based with Co 1−x SnO 3−y -Fe 0.021 -A/C exhibits excellent output power density, cycle performance, and flexibility.

Recycling cobalt in spent lithium ion batteries to design CoN/HPCF/CoN electrocatalysts for advanced zinc–air batteries

“…2h, the CoN/HPCF/CoN based ZAB exhibits a high peak power density of 161.6 mW cm −2 . As compared in Table S3 (ESI†), this value is much larger than those of Pt/C–IrO 2 (140.2 mW cm −2 ), Co@CoNC-3, 23 N-CoS 2 YSSs, 24 Co 1− x SnO 3− y –Fe 0.021 -A/C, 25 and V-CMO/rGO, 26 and just a little smaller than those of MnO/Co/PGC 27 and B-CoSe 2 @CoNi LDH 28 based ZABs. Additionally, at 10 mA cm −2 , the galvanostatic discharge/charge cycling abilities of CoN/HPCF/CoN and Pt/C–IrO 2 (weight ratio = 1 : 1) based ZABs were performed (Fig.…”

Recent advances in the rational design of alkaline OER catalysts: from electronic structures to industrial applications

“…101 The Fe-doped amorphous–crystalline heterojunction Co 1− x SnO 3− y -Fe 0.021 -A/C can be formed by amorphous CoSnO 3− y via Fe ion exchange, then reinforcing the Sn–O bond and weakening the Co–O bonds along with the introduction of the additional Fe–O bonds, which accounts for the impressive oxygenic activity of the potential gap (Δ E = 0.687 V). 102 Despite the fact that crystalline–amorphous interface engineering was employed to overcome reaction energy barriers for fabricating advanced catalysts progressively, the designed catalysts may encounter poor stability on account of the fast cations dissolution rate in their amorphous counterparts.…”

Dual‐Confined Bead‐Like CoSe2@NC@NCNFs Bifunctional Catalyst Boosting Rechargeable Zinc‐Air Batteries†

“…[ 1‐3 ] Among them, sustainable rechargeable zinc‐air batteries (ZABs) have been extensively researched due to their high energy density of 1086 Wh·kg −1 , low cost, and high safety. [ 4‐5 ] Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), as two fundamental half‐reactions in rechargeable ZABs, play a crucial role in the discharge and charge processes, respectively. [ 6 ] However, the sluggish kinetics of the ORR and OER process impose limitations on their practical application.…”