Coordinated Co-NC/CoFe dual active centre embedded three-dimensional ordered macroporous framework as bifunctional...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Developing efficient and stable multifunctional electrocatalysts is crucial for the practical application of zinc-air batteries.
• Existing catalysts often face challenges with stability and performance in demanding electrochemical reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel bifunctional electrocatalyst for enhanced zinc-air battery performance.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of a semiconductive spinel support and Co-N-C/CoFe alloy nanoparticles.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of semiconductive spinel CuFe2O4 as a 3D ordered macroporous support.
• Decoration of the support with ZIF-67 derived Co-N co-doped carbon (Co-NC) and CoFe alloy nanoparticles (C/CF).
• Electrochemical characterization of the C/CF@CuFe2O4 catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Main Results:

• The C/CF@CuFe2O4 catalyst demonstrated excellent bifunctional activity with an ORR half-wave potential of 0.86 V and an OER over-potential of 0.46 V at 10 mA cm⁻².
• The 3D ordered macroporous CuFe2O4 support provided good corrosion resistance and mass transport channels.
• Zinc-air batteries utilizing this catalyst achieved a high power density of 95.5 mW cm⁻² and stable cyclability over 170 hours.

Conclusions:

• The developed C/CF@CuFe2O4 catalyst exhibits remarkable bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and stability.
• The synergistic integration of the CuFe2O4 support and Co-NC/CoFe nanoparticles significantly enhances ORR and OER performance.
• This catalyst shows great potential for practical applications in high-performance zinc-air batteries.