A Zn-based catalyst with high oxygen reduction activity and anti-poisoning property for stable seawater batteries

Seawater batteries (SWBs) are a key part of the future underwater energy network for maritime safety and resource development due to their high safety, long lifespan, and eco-friendly nature. However, the complicated seawater composition and pollution, such as the S^2-, usually poison the catalyst and lead to the degradation of the battery performance. Here, Zn single-atom catalysts (SACs) were demonstrated as effective oxygen reduction reaction catalysts with high anti-poisoning properties by density functional theory calculation and the Zn SACs anchoring on an N, P-doped carbon substrate (Zn-SAC@PNC) was synthesized by a one-pot strategy. Zinc active sites ensure the anti-poisoning property toward S^2-, and N, P-doped carbon helps improve the activity. Therefore, Zn-SAC@PNC exhibits superior activity (E_1/2: 0.87 V, Tafel slope: 69.5 mV dec^-1) compared with Pt/C and shows a lower decay rate of the voltage after discharge in lean-oxygen natural seawater. In the presence of S^2-, Zn-SAC@PNC can still maintain its original catalytic activity, which ensures the stable operation of SWBs in the marine environment with sulfur-based pollutants. This study provides a new strategy to design and develop efficient cathode materials for SWBs.