Constructing Co-O-Fe Bridge To Accelerate Axial Charge and Mass Transfer for Fast-Charging Zinc-Air Batteries

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Energy Storage

Background:

• Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are promising for energy storage.
• Bifunctional catalysts are crucial for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) in ZABs.
• Fast charging requires minimizing resistance, activation, and concentration polarizations during OER.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel catalyst for enhanced fast-charging performance in ZABs.
• To investigate the role of catalyst structure in reducing energy losses during OER.
• To assess the long-term stability of the catalyst under fast-charging conditions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a well-controlled catalyst: NiFe2O4 nanorod modified CoNC nanosheet (NiFeO_NR@CoNC_NS).
• Characterization of the catalyst's structure, focusing on the Co-O-Fe bridge formation.
• Performance testing of the catalyst in ZABs, evaluating fast-charging and stability.

Main Results:

• The NiFeO_NR@CoNC_NS catalyst effectively reduces resistance, activation, and concentration polarizations.
• The axial interfacial Co-O-Fe bridge activates Ni sites and facilitates oxygen removal.
• The catalyst demonstrates excellent fast-charging performance and remarkable stability, operating over 1000 hours at 10-20 mA cm⁻² and 350 hours at 50 mA cm⁻².

Conclusions:

• The NiFeO_NR@CoNC_NS catalyst offers a viable solution for fast-charging ZABs.
• The unique catalyst structure, particularly the Co-O-Fe bridge, is key to improved performance and stability.
• This work advances the development of high-performance rechargeable energy storage systems.