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Heterogeneous assembling 3D free-standing Co@carbon membrane enabling efficient fluid and flexible zinc-air batteries

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Abstract

Developing an efficient, interface-rich, and free-standing non-noble-metal electrocatalyst is vital for the flexible zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) heterogeneous carbon-based flexible membrane was assembled by Co@carbon nanosheets/carbon nanotubes and hollow carbon nanofiber (Co@NS/CNT-CNF) as an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst with a positive half-wave potential of 0.846 V and a small Tafel slope of 79 mV·dec−1. Meanwhile, the Co@NS/CNT-CNF electrode also exhibits excellent open-circuit voltage, peak power density, and long-time cycling stability in liquid-state ZABs (1.605 V, 163 mW·cm−2, and 400 h) and flexible ZABs under flat/bending condition (1.47 V, 102 mW·cm−2, and 80 h). Such heterogeneous flexible membrane architecture not only optimizes the electrolyte infiltration, but also provides capacious possibility for O2 and electrolyte transfer. Meanwhile, work-function analyses coupled with density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrate that the electron transfer capability and metal—support interaction can be well optimized in the obtained Co@NS/CNT-CNF catalyst.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the support from the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2020YFB1506300), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21625102, 21971017, 21922502, 22075018, 51991344, 52025025, and 52072400), and Beijing Institute of Technology Research Fund Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Cluster Science Ministry of Education, Beijing Key Laboratory of Photoelectronic/Electrophotonic Conversion Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Advanced Technology Research Institute (Jinan), Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    Jinming Wang, Xiangjian Liu, Liuhua Li, Rui Liu, Yarong Liu, Changli Wang, Zunhang Lv, Wenxiu Yang, Xiao Feng & Bo Wang

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  1. Jinming Wang
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  2. Xiangjian Liu
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  3. Liuhua Li
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  7. Zunhang Lv
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  8. Wenxiu Yang
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  9. Xiao Feng
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Correspondence to Wenxiu Yang or Bo Wang.

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Wang, J., Liu, X., Li, L. et al. Heterogeneous assembling 3D free-standing Co@carbon membrane enabling efficient fluid and flexible zinc-air batteries. Nano Res. 16, 9327–9334 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-5553-x

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