Issue 39, 2022

Single atomic Fe-pyridine N catalyst with dense active sites improve bifunctional electrocatalyst activity for rechargeable and flexible Zn-air batteries

Abstract

The iron-pyridinic-N moiety is considered more active for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, low active site density and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity hinder the further improvement of Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, the macromolecules of the different nitrogen sites have been rationally designed and fabricated to create a carbon material with a high content of pyridine N. On this basis, the activated carbon matrix allows the halfway reduction of Fe3+ to Fex+, which is coordinated with pyridinic N to form a high-loading Fe-pyridinic N bonding structure. It also stimulates the complete reduction of Fe3+ to a single Fe atom on a 3D sponge carbon structure (named Fe/Fe-NC-3). Benefiting from pyridine N, the Fe-pyridinic N-bonding structure, single atom dispersion, and hierarchical pore channels, the Fe/Fe-NC-3 shows superior ORR and OER electrochemical activity, approaching that of the commercial Pt/C and IrO2. In addition, Fe/Fe-NC-3 as a ZAB air-electrode exhibits outstanding stability for over 500 h and a remarkable power density of 304.4 mW cm−2 in reversible ZABs. Moreover, the flexible ZABs deliver a high open-circuit voltage of 1.35 V, stable voltage gap under flat/bent states, and discharge voltage at 2 mA cm−2. This study provides a new perspective for preparing bifunctional catalysts with enriched active sites.

Graphical abstract: Single atomic Fe-pyridine N catalyst with dense active sites improve bifunctional electrocatalyst activity for rechargeable and flexible Zn-air batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
11 Aug 2022
Accepted
25 Aug 2022
First published
25 Aug 2022

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022,10, 20993-21003

Single atomic Fe-pyridine N catalyst with dense active sites improve bifunctional electrocatalyst activity for rechargeable and flexible Zn-air batteries

W. Deng, T. Wu, Y. Wu, H. Zheng, G. Li, M. Yang, X. Zou, Y. Bai, Y. Yang, M. Jing and X. Wang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 20993 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA06351D

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