Co7Fe3 Nanoparticles Confined in N‑Doped Carbon Nanocubes for Highly Efficient, Rechargeable Zinc–Air Batteries

• Published in: ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering Vol. 10; no. 27; pp. 8694 - 8703
• Main Authors: Tu, Teng-xiu, Zhou, Xiao, Zhang, Peng-fang, Tan, Liang, Xu, Zhi-feng, Liu, Meng-qin, Li, Wen-yi, Kang, Xiao-min, Wu, Yi-jin, Zheng, Jian-zhong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Chemical Society 24.06.2022
• Subjects: batteries; carbon; electrodes; energy; green chemistry; pyrolysis; Metal nanoparticles; M−N x species; Rechargeable zinc−air battery; Bimetallic active component; Oxygen-based bifunctional electrocatalyst
• ISSN: 2168-0485; 2168-0485
• DOI: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c08618

Active component management and microengineering of metal nanoparticles are significant challenges for efficient M/N/C electrocatalysts, as a crucial electrode material for reversible zinc–air batteries, because of the lack of a multifunctional structural strategy in the electrocatalytic preparation process. Here, a convenient, one-step pyrolysis method was introduced into the preparation process of a difunctional electrocatalyst, an Fe-, Co-, and N-codoped carbon-based cube hybrid (Co7Fe3/CFNC) with abundant active components, including metallic Co7Fe3 nanoparticles and Fe/Co–N x species. The as-constructed Co7Fe3/CFNC demonstrates impressive activity/stability for ORR/OER. Moreover, practical zinc–air battery building with Co7Fe3/CFNC electrocatalysts reveals a superior cycling stability for 224 h. Our work could educate a new applicable branch for designing multifunctional catalysts and regulating their active sites to apply the energy and environment.