Tailoring Metal-Organic Frameworks and Derived Materials for High-Performance Zinc-Air and Alkaline Batteries

Developing multifunctional materials from earth-abundant elements is urgently needed to satisfy the demand for sustainable energy. Herein, we demonstrate a facile approach for the preparation of a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived Fe₂O₃/C, composited with N-doped reduced graphene oxide (MO-rGO). MO-rGO exhibits excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activities toward the oxygen evolution reaction (η_j=10 = 273 mV) and the oxygen reduction reaction (half-wave potential = 0.77 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode) with a low ΔE_OER-ORR of 0.88 V in alkaline solutions. A Zn-air battery based on the MO-rGO cathode displays a high specific energy of over 903 W h kg_Zn^-1 (∼290 mW h cm^-2), an excellent power density of 148 mW cm^-2, and an open-circuit voltage of 1.430 V, outperforming the benchmark Pt/C + RuO₂ catalyst. We also hydrothermally synthesized a Ni-MOF that was partially transformed into a Ni-Co-layered double hydroxide (MOF-LDH). A MO-rGO||MOF-LDH alkaline battery exhibits a specific energy of 42.6 W h kg_total mass^-1 (106.5 μW h cm^-2) and an outstanding specific power of 9.8 kW kg_total mass^-1 (24.5 mW cm^-2). This work demonstrates the potential of MOFs and MOF-derived compounds for designing innovative multifunctional materials for catalysis, electrochemical energy storage, and beyond.