Single‐Atom Fe‐Nx‐C as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Zinc–Air Batteries

作者：Junxing Han, Xiaoyi Meng, Liang Lu, Juanjuan Bian, Zhipeng Li, Chunwen Sun · 发表于：Advanced Functional Materials · 年份：2019 · DOI：10.1002/adfm.201808872 · 被引用次数：532 · 研究领域：Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion、Advanced battery technologies research、Advancements in Battery Materials

Abstract Highly efficient non‐noble metal electrocatalysts are vital for metal–air batteries and fuel cells. Herein, a noble‐metal–free single‐atom Fe‐N x‐C electrocatalyst is synthesized by incorporating Fe‐Phen complexes into the nanocages in situ during the growth of ZIF‐8, followed by pyrolysis at 900 °C under inert atmosphere. Fe‐Phen species provide both Fe2+ and the organic ligand (Phen) simultaneously, which play significant roles in preparing single‐atom catalysts. The obtained Fe‐Nx‐C exhibits a half‐wave potential of 0.91 V for the oxygen reduction reaction, higher than that of commercial Pt/C (0.82 V). As a cathode catalyst for primary zinc–air batteries (ZABs), the battery shows excellent electrochemical performances in terms of the high open‐circuit voltage (OCV) of 1.51 V and a high power density of 96.4 mW cm−2. The rechargeable ZAB with Fe‐Nx‐C catalyst and the alkaline electrolyte shows a remarkable cycling performance for 300 h with an initial round‐trip efficiency of 59.6%. Furthermore, the rechargeable all‐solid‐state ZABs with the Fe‐Nx‐C catalyst show high OCV of 1.49 V, long cycle life for 120 h, and foldability. The single‐atom Fe‐Nx‐C electrocatalyst may function as a promising catalyst for various metal–air batteries and fuel cells.