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Published on: September 29, 2020
Hierarchically Social Self-Sorted Bifunctional Electrocatalyst Based on Metal-Phenolic Polymers for Rechargeable
Li-Wei Wang1, Hao-Bo Zhang1, Jia-Hui Yuan1
1College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, College of Energy Storage, College of Sciences, Tianjin University of Science & Technology, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 28, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel self-sorting synthesis for bifunctional catalysts using natural products for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions. The resulting composite materials show superior performance in zinc-air batteries, advancing sustainable energy technology.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Self-sorting offers a one-pot method for creating ordered composite structures.
- Developing efficient catalysts for oxygen evolution/reduction reactions (OER/ORR) is crucial for energy technologies.
- Natural products offer sustainable building blocks for advanced materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report the self-sorting synthesis of a bifunctional catalyst for OER/ORR using natural products.
- To investigate the catalytic performance of the synthesized composite in oxygen reactions and zinc-air batteries.
- To demonstrate a new strategy for designing ordered functional materials from sustainable resources.
Main Methods:
- Self-sorting synthesis involving coordination polymers (CPs) from ellagic acid (EA) and hematoxylin (HTL) with Co(OAc)2.
- Integration of CPs with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) to form nanosheets and coaxial structures.
- Electrochemical characterization of the catalyst for OER/ORR and testing in zinc-air batteries (ZABs).
Main Results:
- EA-Co CPs formed nanosheets with superior OER performance compared to IrO2.
- HTL-Co CPs co-assembled with CNTs exhibited enhanced ORR activity.
- The composite catalyst achieved a low OER/ORR potential gap of 0.70 V.
- The catalyst in ZABs demonstrated an open-circuit voltage of 1.41 V and stability over 300 hours, outperforming Pt/C + IrO2.
Conclusions:
- The self-sorting strategy successfully created a highly ordered, bifunctional catalyst from natural products.
- The developed catalyst exhibits excellent performance in oxygen reactions and zinc-air batteries.
- This approach broadens the use of natural products in sustainable energy applications and offers a new design paradigm for functional composites.
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