Uniformly structured asymmetric coordination Ce single-atom catalysts for stable and efficient oxygen reduction...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Symmetric M-N₄ coordination in catalysts limits performance and stability in oxygen reduction reactions.
• N₂O₂-type catalysts show potential but suffer from irregular morphology, hindering practical application.
• Developing catalysts with uniform morphology is crucial for advancing energy storage technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel cerium-based single-atom catalyst (Ce-N₂O₂/C) with uniform morphology.
• To evaluate the performance and stability of the Ce-N₂O₂/C catalyst in zinc-air batteries.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional M-N₄ and irregular N₂O₂ catalysts.

Main Methods:

• Oxygen-ligand electrospinning-annealing route for catalyst synthesis.
• Characterization of catalyst morphology and composition.
• Electrochemical testing in zinc-air battery configurations.

Main Results:

• Achieved a uniform morphology for the Ce-N₂O₂/C single-atom catalyst.
• Delivered a high half-wave potential of 0.91 V.
• Demonstrated excellent stability with 345 hours of operation in zinc-air batteries.
• Outperformed most asymmetric cerium-based single-atom catalysts.

Conclusions:

• The Ce-N₂O₂/C catalyst synthesized via electrospinning-annealing offers a promising alternative for efficient oxygen reduction reactions.
• Uniform morphology is key to achieving high performance and stability in single-atom catalysts for energy applications.
• This work advances the development of next-generation catalysts for zinc-air batteries.