Binder-Free Air Electrodes for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries: Recent Progress and Future Perspectives

High-Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Flexible and Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries: Recent Advances

Flexible rechargeable Zn-air batteries (FZABs) exhibit high energy density, ultra-thin, lightweight, green, and safe features, and are considered as one of the ideal power sources for flexible wearable electronics. However, the slow and high overpotential oxygen reaction at the air cathode has become one of the key factors restricting the development of FZABs. The improvement of activity and stability of bifunctional catalysts has become a top priority. At the same time, FZABs should maintain the battery performance under different bending and twisting conditions, and the design of the overall structure of FZABs is also important. Based on the understanding of the three typical configurations and working principles of FZABs, this work highlights two common strategies for applying bifunctional catalysts to FZABs: 1) powder-based flexible air cathode and 2) flexible self-supported air cathode. It summarizes the recent advances in bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts and explores the various types of catalyst structures as well as the related mechanistic understanding. Based on the latest catalyst research advances, this paper introduces and discusses various structure modulation strategies and expects to guide the synthesis and preparation of efficient bifunctional catalysts. Finally, the current status and challenges of bifunctional catalyst research in FZABs are summarized.

Laser solid-phase synthesis of graphene shell-encapsulated high-entropy alloy nanoparticles

Rapid synthesis of high-entropy alloy nanoparticles (HEA NPs) offers new opportunities to develop functional materials in widespread applications. Although some methods have successfully produced HEA NPs, these methods generally require rigorous conditions such as high pressure, high temperature, restricted atmosphere, and limited substrates, which impede practical viability. In this work, we report laser solid-phase synthesis of CrMnFeCoNi nanoparticles by laser irradiation of mixed metal precursors on a laser-induced graphene (LIG) support with a 3D porous structure. The CrMnFeCoNi nanoparticles are embraced by several graphene layers, forming graphene shell-encapsulated HEA nanoparticles. The mechanisms of the laser solid-phase synthesis of HEA NPs on LIG supports are investigated through theoretical simulation and experimental observations, in consideration of mixed metal precursor adsorption, thermal decomposition, reduction through electrons from laser-induced thermionic emission, and liquid beads splitting. The production rate reaches up to 30 g/h under the current laser setup. The laser-synthesized graphene shell-encapsulated CrMnFeCoNi NPs loaded on LIG-coated carbon paper are used directly as 3D binder-free integrated electrodes and exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen evolution reaction with an overpotential of 293 mV at the current density of 10 mA/cm2 and exceptional stability over 428 h in alkaline media, outperforming the commercial RuO2 catalyst and the relevant catalysts reported by other methods. This work also demonstrates the versatility of this technique through the successful synthesis of CrMnFeCoNi oxide, sulfide, and phosphide nanoparticles.

An Overview and Future Perspectives of Rechargeable Flexible Zn-Air Batteries

Environmental friendliness and low-cost zinc-air batteries for flexible rechargeable applications have great potential in the field of flexible electronics and smart wearables owing to high energy density and long service life. However, the current technology of flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries to meet the commercialization needs still facing enormous challenges due to the poor adaptability of each flexible component of the zinc-air batteries. This review focused on the latest progress over the past 5 years in designing and fabricating flexible self-standing air electrodes, flexible electrolytes and zinc electrodes of flexible Zn-air batteries, meanwhile the basic working principle of each component of flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries and battery structures optimization are also described. Finally, challenges and prospects for the future development of flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries are discussed. This work is intended to provide insights and general guidance for future exploration of the design and fabrication on high-performance flexible rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Methanol-induced assembly and pyrolysis preparation of three-dimensional N-doped interconnected open carbon cages supported FeNb2O6 nanoparticles for boosting oxygen reduction reaction and Zn-air battery

Three-dimensional (3D) hollow carbon is one of advanced nanomaterials widely applied in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, iron niobate (FeNb2O6) nanoparticles supported on metal-organic frameworks (MOFs)-derived 3D N-doped interconnected open carbon cages (FeNb2O6/NICC) were prepared by methanol induced assembly and pyrolysis strategy. During the fabrication process, the evaporation of methanol promoted the assembly and cross linkage of ZIF-8, rather than individual particles. The assembled ZIF-8 particles worked as in-situ sacrificial templates, in turn forming hierarchically interconnected open carbon cages after high-temperature pyrolysis. The as-made FeNb2O6/NICC showed a positive onset potential of 1.09 V and a half-wave potential of 0.88 V for the ORR, outperforming commercial Pt/C under the identical conditions. Later on, the as-built Zn-air battery with the FeNb2O6/NICC presented a greater power density of 100.6 mW cm-2 and durable long-cycle stability by operating for 200 h. For preparing 3D hollow carbon materials, this synthesis does not require a tedious removal process of template, which is more convenient than traditional method with silica and polystyrene spheres as templates. This work affords an exceptional example of developing 3D N-doped interconnected hollow carbon composites for energy conversion and storage devices.

In situ Construction of Multistage Core-Shell Nanostructure as Bifunctional Catalyst for Ultrastable Zinc-Air Batteries

Many efforts have been devoted to obtaining excellent cathode catalysts for Zinc air batteries (ZABs), but the inevitable use of binder will damage the catalytic activity and weaken long-term stability, inefficient mass transfer of oxygen is also chargable for the limited activity. Herein, in situ grown hydrogen substituted graphdiyne (HGDY) on carbon paper has been prepared and used as cathode catalyst layer in ZABs. Multiple catalytic sites are firmly combined and end with the boosted bifunctional catalytic activity of oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution. Moreover, the specific surface area, sufficient active sites, multilevel pore nanostructure and robust conductivity are fully exposed to establish efficient catalytic interface and skeleton. Cu/Co nanoparticles are uniformly distributed and warped by HGDY network, which can stably exist during the catalytic process. As a result, a current density of 18.75 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 61.06 mV dec-1 for oxygen reduction and a ultralong operation for more than 2300 h in aqueous ZAB have been achieved, which is beyond many reported bifunctional catalysts in ZAB system.

Hollow Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Spheres as Zincophilic Sites for Zn Flow Battery

Severe dendrite growth on Zn anodes poses a significant challenge to the development of Zn-based batteries. An effective strategy for inhibiting the formation of Zn dendrites involves electrode modification. In this study, hollow nitrogen-doped carbon spheres (HNCS) are synthesized and used as electrodes to regulate Zn deposition in Zn-based flow batteries. The electrochemical performance of HNCS reveals that the pyrrole nitrogen of HNCS changes the electrode surface state. Therefore, HNCS can inhibit the hydrogen evolution reaction and achieve uniform Zn deposition. HNCS can effectively inhibit dendrite growth and improve the reversibility of the Zn plating/stripping process to regulate the reversibility of Zn-based batteries. The zinc-bromine redox flow battery assembled with HNCS significantly reduces the hydrogen evolution reaction and exhibits a coulombic efficiency of 90 % and energy efficiency of 73 % at a current density of 60 mA cm-2. Similarly, an alkaline zinc-iron flow battery can maintain high Coulombic efficiency and energy efficiency of 83 %.

Universal Sublimation Strategy to Stabilize Single-Metal Sites on Flexible Single-Wall Carbon-Nanotube Films with Strain-Enhanced Activities for Zinc-Air Batteries and Water Splitting

Single-metal-site catalysts have recently aroused extensive research in electrochemical energy fields such as zinc-air batteries and water splitting, but their preparation is still a huge challenge, especially in flexible catalyst films. Herein, we propose a sublimation strategy in which metal phthalocyanine molecules with defined isolated metal-N4 sites are gasified by sublimation and then deposited on flexible single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) films by means of π-π coupling interactions. Specifically, iron phthalocyanine anchored on the SWCNT film prepared was directly used to boost the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction of the zinc-air battery, showing a high peak power density of 247 mW cm-2. Nickel phthalocyanine and cobalt phthalocyanine were, respectively, stabilized on SWCNT films as the anodic and cathodic electrocatalysts for water splitting, showing a low potential of 1.655 V at 10 mA cm-2. In situ Raman spectra and theoretical studies demonstrate that highly efficient activities originate from strain-induced metal phthalocyanine on SWCNTs. This work provides a universal preparation method for single-metal-site catalysts and innovative insights for electrocatalytic mechanisms.

Stabilizing iron single atoms with electrospun hollow carbon nanofibers as self-standing air-electrodes for long-time Zn - air batteries

Developing iron-based single-atom catalysts (Fe SACs) with low cost, high activity and stability is vital for commercialising sustainable energy technologies. However, accurately controlling and identifying structure-activity relationships of Fe SACs remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report Fe/N co-doped carbon nanofiber membranes with highly exposed Fe-N4 sites (Fe/NCNFs), synthesized by electrospinning and pyrolysis. The three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical structure and atomically dispersed pyrrole-type Fe (III)-N4 active sites provide the as-prepared catalyst with a positive half-wave potential of 0.87 V and an ultralow Tafel slope of 53 mV dec-1. As an air cathode catalyst for liquid Zn - air batteries, it delivers a high open-circuit voltage (1.474 V), a large peak power density (190 mW cm-2) and a high durability of 2000 cycles at 5 mA cm-2. As a self-standing air cathode, the as-assembled solid-state Zn - air batteries also show stable cycling with a small discharge/charge voltage gap of 0.65 V, indicating great prospects for developing portable zinc - air batteries.

Atomically Dispersed Co2 MnN8 Triatomic Sites Anchored in N-Doped Carbon Enabling Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Atomically dispersed transition metal-nitrogen/carbon (M-N/C) catalysts have emerged as the most promising substitutes to the precious platinum counterparts toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the reported M-N/C catalysts are usually in the form of common M-N4 moieties with only a single metal active site, and they suffer from insufficient activity. Herein, an unusual trinuclear active structure is elaborately developed with a nitrogen-coordinated single Mn atom adjacent to two Co atoms (Co2 MnN8 ) anchored in N-doped carbon as a highly efficient ORR catalyst via adsorption-pyrolysis of a bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate framework precursor. Atomic structural investigations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that Co2 MnN8 would experience a spontaneous OH binding to form Co2 MnN8 -2OH as the real active site, leading to a single electron-filled state in thed z 2 ${\mathrm{d}}_{{z}^{2}}$ orbital and an optimized binding energy of intermediates. Accordingly, the as-developed Co2 MnN8 /C exhibits an unprecedented ORR activity with a high half-wave potential of 0.912 V and outstanding stability, not only surpassing the Pt/C catalyst but also representing a new record for the Co-based catalyst.

Sustainable zinc-air battery chemistry: advances, challenges and prospects

Sustainable zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are considered promising energy storage devices owing to their inherent safety, high energy density, wide operating temperature window, environmental friendliness, etc., showing great prospect for future large-scale applications. Thus, tremendous efforts have been devoted to addressing the critical challenges associated with sustainable ZABs, aiming to significantly improve their energy efficiency and prolong their operation lifespan. The growing interest in sustainable ZABs requires in-depth research on oxygen electrocatalysts, electrolytes, and Zn anodes, which have not been systematically reviewed to date. In this review, the fundamentals of ZABs, oxygen electrocatalysts for air cathodes, physicochemical properties of ZAB electrolytes, and issues and strategies for the stabilization of Zn anodes are systematically summarized from the perspective of fundamental characteristics and design principles. Meanwhile, significant advances in the in situ/operando characterization of ZABs are highlighted to provide insights into the reaction mechanism and dynamic evolution of the electrolyte|electrode interface. Finally, several critical thoughts and perspectives are provided regarding the challenges and opportunities for sustainable ZABs. Therefore, this review provides a thorough understanding of the advanced sustainable ZAB chemistry, hoping that this timely and comprehensive review can shed light on the upcoming research horizons of this prosperous area.

Cobalt Phthalocyanine-Doped Polymer-Based Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

Rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZAB) have gained significant attention as potential energy storage devices due to their high energy density, cost-effectiveness, and to the fact that they are environmentally safe. However, the practical implementation of RZABs has been impeded by challenges such as sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), including poor cyclability. Herein, we report the preparation of cobalt- and nitrogen-doped porous carbon derived from phloroglucinol-formaldehyde polymer networks with 2-methyl imidazole and cobalt phthalocyanine as precursors for nitrogen and cobalt. The CoN-PC-2 catalyst prepared in this study exhibits commendable electrocatalytic activity for both ORR and OER, evidenced by a half-wave potential of 0.81 V and E_j=10 of 1.70 V. Moreover, the catalyst demonstrates outstanding performance in zinc-air batteries, achieving a peak power density of 158 mW cm^-2 and displaying excellent stability during charge-discharge cycles. The findings from this study aim to provide valuable insights and guidelines for further research and the development of hierarchical micro-mesoporous carbon materials from polymer networks, facilitating their potential commercialisation and widespread deployment in energy storage applications.

FeCo alloy entrapped in N-doped graphitic carbon nanotubes-on-nanosheets prepared by coordination-induced pyrolysis for oxygen reduction reaction and rechargeable Zn-air battery

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on cathode severely suffers from sluggish kinetics in zinc-air batteries. Therefore, substantial efforts have been made to prepare advanced electrocatalysts for facilitating the ORR. Herein, we synthesized FeCo alloyed nanocrystals entrapped in N-doped graphitic carbon nanotubes on nanosheets (FeCo-N-GCTSs) by 8-aminoquinoline coordination-induced pyrolysis, whose morphology, structures, and property were characterized in details. Impressively, the obtained FeCo-N-GCTSs catalyst showed a positive onset potential (E_onset = 1.06 V) and half-wave potential (E_1/2 = 0.88 V), revealing excellent ORR activity. Further, the FeCo-N-GCTSs assembled zinc-air battery displayed the maximum power density of 133 mW cm^-2 and negligible gap change in the discharge-charge voltage plot over 288 h (ca. 864 cycles) at 5 mA cm^-2, outperforming the Pt/C + RuO₂ based counterpart. This work provides a facile route for construction of high-efficiency, durable and low-cost nanocatalysts for the ORR in fuel cells and rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

Synergetic Nanostructure Engineering and Electronic Modulation of a 3D Hollow Heterostructured NiCo2O4@NiFe-LDH Self-Supporting Electrode for Rechargeable Zn-Air Batteries

Developing electrocatalysts that integrate the merits of the hollow structure and heterojunction is an attractive but still challenging strategy for addressing the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in many renewable energy technologies. Herein, a 3D hierarchically flexible self-supporting electrode with a hollow heterostructure is intentionally constructed by assembling thin NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanosheets on the surface of metal-organic framework-derived hollow NiCo₂O₄ nanoflake arrays (NiCo₂O₄@NiFe-LDH) for rechargeable Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the interfacial electron transfer from NiFe-LDH to NiCo₂O₄ induces the electronic modulation, improves the conductivity, and lowers the reaction energy barriers during OER, ensuring high catalytic activity. Meanwhile, the 3D hierarchically hollow nanoarray architecture can afford plentiful catalytic active sites and short mass-/charge-transfer pathways. As a result, the obtained catalyst exhibits remarkable OER electrocatalytic performance, showing low overpotentials (only 231 mV at 10 mA cm^-2, 300 mV at 50 mA cm^-2) and robust stability. When assembling liquid and flexible solid-state ZABs with NiCo₂O₄@NiFe-LDH as the OER catalyst, the ZABs achieve excellent power density, high specific capacity, superior cycle durability, and good bending flexibility, exceeding the RuO₂ + Pt/C benchmarks and other previously reported self-supporting catalysts. This work not only constructs an advanced hollow heterostructured catalyst for sustainable energy systems and wearable electronic devices but also provides insights into the role of interfacial electron modulation in catalytic performance enhancement.

Recent advances in zinc-air batteries: self-standing inorganic nanoporous metal films as air cathodes

Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have promising prospects as next-generation electrochemical energy systems due to their high safety, high power density, environmental friendliness, and low cost. However, the air cathodes used in ZABs still face many challenges, such as the low catalytic activity and poor stability of carbon-based materials at high current density/voltage. To achieve high activity and stability of rechargeable ZABs, chemically and electrochemically stable air cathodes with bifunctional oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)/oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, fast reaction rate with low platinum group metal (PGM) loading or PGM-free materials are required, which are difficult to achieve with common electrocatalysts. Meanwhile, inorganic nanoporous metal films (INMFs) have many advantages as self-standing air cathodes, such as high activity and stability for both the ORR/OER under highly alkaline conditions. The high surface area, three-dimensional channels, and porous structure with controllable crystal growth facet/direction make INMFs an ideal candidate as air cathodes for ZABs. In this review, we first revisit some critical descriptors to assess the performance of ZABs, and recommend the standard test and reported manner. We then summarize the recent progress of low-Pt, low-Pd, and PGM-free-based materials as air cathodes with low/non-PGM loading for rechargeable ZABs. The structure-composition-performance relationship between INMFs and ZABs is discussed in-depth. Finally, we provide our perspectives on the further development of INMFs towards rechargeable ZABs, as well as current issues that need to be addressed. This work will not only attract researchers' attention and guide them to assess and report the performance of ZABs more accurately, but also stimulate more innovative strategies to drive the practical application of INMFS for ZABs and other energy-related technologies.

Rational Design of Flexible Zn-Based Batteries for Wearable Electronic Devices

The advent of 5G and the Internet of Things has spawned a demand for wearable electronic devices. However, the lack of a suitable flexible energy storage system has become the "Achilles' Heel" of wearable electronic devices. Additional problems during the transformation of the battery structure from conventional to flexible also present a severe challenge to the battery design. Flexible Zn-based batteries, including Zn-ion batteries and Zn-air batteries, have long been considered promising candidates due to their high safety, eco-efficiency, substantial reserve, and low cost. In the past decade, researchers have come up with elaborate designs for each portion of flexible Zn-based batteries to improve the ionic conductivities, mechanical properties, environment adaptabilities, and scalable productions. It would be helpful to summarize the reported strategies and compare their pros and cons to facilitate further research toward the commercialization of flexible Zn-based batteries. In this review, the current progress in developing flexible Zn-based batteries is comprehensively reviewed, including their electrolytes, cathodes, and anodes, and discussed in terms of their synthesis, characterization, and performance validation. By clarifying the challenges in flexible Zn-based battery design, we summarize the methodology from previous investigations and propose challenges for future development. In the end, a research paradigm of Zn-based batteries is summarized to fit the burgeoning requirement of wearable electronic devices in an iterative process, which will benefit the future development of Zn-based batteries.

Construction of 3D Hierarchical Co3O4@CoFe-LDH Heterostructures with Effective Interfacial Charge Redistribution for Rechargeable Liquid/Solid Zn-Air Batteries

Constructing three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical heterostructures is an appealing but challenging strategy to improve the performance of catalysts for electrical energy devices. Here, an efficient and robust flexible self-supporting catalyst, interface coupling of ultrathin CoFe-LDH nanosheets and Co₃O₄ nanowire arrays on the carbon cloth (CC/Co₃O₄@CoFe-LDH), was proposed for boosting oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in rechargeable liquid/solid Zn-air batteries (ZABs). The strong interfacial interaction between the CoFe-LDH and Co₃O₄ heterostructures stimulated the charge redistribution in their coupling regions, which improved the electron conductivity and optimized the adsorption free energy of OER intermediates, ultimately boosting the intrinsic OER performance. Besides, the 3D hierarchical nanoarray structure facilitated the exposure of catalytically active centers and rapid electron/mass transfer during the OER process. As such, the CC/Co₃O₄@CoFe-LDH catalyst achieved excellent OER catalytic activity in alkaline medium, with a small overpotential of 237 mV at 10 mA cm^-2, a low Tafel slope of 35.43 mV dec^-1, and long-term durability of up to 48 h, significantly outperforming the commercial RuO₂ catalyst. More impressively, the liquid and flexible solid-state ZABs assembled by the CC/Co₃O₄@CoFe-LDH hybrid catalyst as the OER catalyst presented a stable open circuit voltage, large power density, superb cycling life, and satisfactory flexibility, indicating great potential applications in energy technology. This work provides a good guidance for the development of advanced electrocatalysts with heterostructures and an in-depth understanding of electronic modulation at the heterogeneous interface.

In situ grown oxygen-vacancy-rich copper oxide nanosheets on a copper foam electrode afford the selective oxidation of alcohols to value-added chemicals

Selective oxidation of low-molecular-weight aliphatic alcohols like methanol and ethanol into carboxylates in acid/base hybrid electrolytic cells offers reduced process operating costs for the generation of fuels and value-added chemicals, which is environmentally and economically more desirable than their full oxidation to CO₂. Herein, we report the in-situ fabrication of oxygen-vacancies-rich CuO nanosheets on a copper foam (CF) via a simple ultrasonication-assisted acid-etching method. The CuO/CF monolith electrode enables efficient and selective electrooxidation of ethanol and methanol into value-added acetate and formate with ~100% selectivity. First principles calculations reveal that oxygen vacancies in CuO nanosheets efficiently regulate the surface chemistry and electronic structure, provide abundant active sites, and enhance charge transfer that facilitates the adsorption of reactant molecules on the catalyst surface. The as-prepared CuO/CF monolith electrode shows excellent stability for alcohol oxidation at current densities >200 mA·cm² for 24 h. Moreover, the abundant oxygen vacancies significantly enhance the intrinsic indicators of the catalyst in terms of specific activity and outstanding turnover frequencies of 5.8k s^-1 and 6k s^-1 for acetate and formate normalized by their respective faradaic efficiencies at an applied potential of 1.82 V vs. RHE.

Research Progress in Metal-Organic Framework Based Nanomaterials Applied in Battery Cathodes

Metal-Organic Frameworks have attracted profound attention the latest years for use in environmental applications. They can offer a broad variety of functions due to their tunable porosity, high surface area and metal activity centers. Not more than ten years ago, they have been applied experimentally for the first time in energy storage devices, such as batteries. Specifically, MOFs have been investigated thoroughly as potential materials hosting the oxidizing agent in the cathode electrode of several battery systems such as Lithium Batteries, Metal-Ion Batteries and Metal-Air Batteries. The aim of this review is to provide researchers with a summary of the electrochemical properties and performance of MOFs recently implemented in battery cathodes in order to provide fertile ground for further exploration of performance-oriented materials. In the following sections, the basic working principles of each battery system are briefly defined, and special emphasis is dedicated to MOF-based or MOF-derived nanomaterials, especially nanocomposites, which have been tested as potential battery cathodes.

Alloying Co Species into Ordered and Interconnected Macroporous Carbon Polyhedra for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

Engineering non-precious transition metal (TM)-based electrocatalysts to simultaneously achieve an optimal intrinsic activity, high density of active sites, and rapid mass transfer ability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains a significant challenge. To address this challenge, a hybrid composite consisting of Fe_x Co alloy nanoparticles uniformly implanted into hierarchically ordered macro-/meso-/microporous N-doped carbon polyhedra (HOMNCP) is rationally designed. The combined results of experimental and theoretical investigations indicate that the alloying of Co enables a favorable electronic structure for the formation of the *OH intermediate, while the periodically trimodal-porous structured carbon matrix structure not only provides highly accessible channels for active site utilization but also dramatically facilitates mass transfer in the catalytic process. As expected, the Fe_0.5 Co@HOMNCP composite catalyst exhibits extraordinary ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.903 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode), surpassing most Co-based catalysts reported to date. More remarkably, the use of the Fe_0.5 Co@HOMNCP catalyst as the air electrode in a zinc-air battery results in superior open-circuit voltage and power density compared to a commercial Pt/C + IrO₂ catalyst. The results of this study are expected to inspire the development of advanced TM-based catalysts for energy storage and conversion applications.

Stabilizing Cobalt Single Atoms via Flexible Carbon Membranes as Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Binder-Free Zinc-Air Batteries

Single-atom catalysts with high activity and efficient atom utilization have great potential in the electrocatalysis field, especially for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). However, it is still a serious challenge to rationally construct a single-atom catalyst with satisfactory electrocatalytic activity and long-term stability. Here, we simultaneously realize the atomic-level dispersion of cobalt and the construction of carbon nanotube (CNT)-linked N-doped porous carbon nanofibers (NCFs) via an electrospinning strategy. In this hierarchical structure, the Co-N₄ sites provide efficient oxygen reduction/evolution electrocatalytic activity, the porous architectures of NCFs guarantee the active site's accessibility, and the interior CNTs enhance the flexibility and mechanical strength of porous fibers. As a binder-free air cathode, the as-prepared catalysts deliver superdurability of 600 h at 10 mA cm^-2 for aqueous ZABs and considerable flexibility and a small voltage gap for all-solid-state ZABs. This work provides an effective single-atom design/nanoengineering for superdurable zinc-air batteries.

Frontiers and Structural Engineering for Building Flexible Zinc-Air Batteries

With the development of flexible devices, the demand for wearable power sources has increased and gradually become imperative. Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) have attracted lots of research interest due to their high theoretical energy density and excellent safety properties, which can meet the wearable energy supply requirements. Here, the flexibility of energy storage devices is discussed first, followed by the chemistries and development of flexible ZABs. The design of flexible electrodes, the properties of solid-state electrolytes (SSEs), and the construction of deformable structures are discussed in depth. The researchers working on flexible energy storage devices will benefit from the work.

In Situ Anchoring Co-N-C Nanoparticles on Co4 N Nanosheets toward Ultrastable Flexible Self-Supported Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst Enables Recyclable Zn-Air Batteries Over 10 000 Cycles and Fast Charging

Zn-air batteries (ZABs) are very promising for flexible energy storage, but their application is limited to the primary battery. Developing an efficient and non-noble metal cathode toward oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) is of great significance for the commercial application of rechargeable ZABs. Herein, a flexible self-supported integrated bifunctional cathode is presented in which the Co-N-C nanoparticles are in situ anchored on Co₄ N nanosheets via a facile and scalable strategy. Benefiting from integrated 3D architecture with adequate active sites, porous structure, high conductivity originating from the metal substrate, and the synergistic effects of Co-N-C and Co₄ N, the cathode exhibits excellent bifunctional activity (low overpotential of 275 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 for OER, high half-wave potential of 0.833 V for ORR), and ultralong durability for ORR/OER in the alkaline medium. Impressively, this cathode enables the recyclable aqueous ZABs a record overall lifespan over 10 000 cycles at 20 mA cm^-2 , and a superior fast-charging feature at an ultrahigh charging current density of 100 mA cm^-2 . Furthermore, such a flexible integrated cathode can be directly used as a self-supported cathode for flexible solid-state ZABs, with excellent reversibility for 300 cycles, demonstrating its feasibility for practical application.

In-site coupling of NiFe layered double hydroxides with N-doped carbon nanosheets on carbon cloth as integrated cathode for rechargeable Zn–air batteries

Exploring low-cost, high catalytic activity and high durability dual-function catalysts is critical for rechargeable Zn–air batteries to promote the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) processes.

FeNiP nanoparticle/N,P dual-doped carbon composite as a trifunctional catalyst towards high-performance zinc-air batteries and overall water electrolysis

A composite catalyst with a novel construction of bimetallic phosphide FeNiP nanoparticles embedded in an N,P double-doped carbon matrix was prepared. It was demonstrated to be a trifunctional catalyst that can efficiently catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It was found that the introduction of oleylamine during the preparation can adjust the catalytic sites and finally lead to ideal catalytic performances. The obtained catalyst exhibited efficient ORR catalytic performance that surpassed the commercial Pt/C catalyst, with the OER performance comparable to that of RuO₂ as well as excellent HER performance. The ORR half-wave potential is 0.879 V (vs. RHE) in 0.1 M KOH solution, while the OER overpotential at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 is only 280 mV in 1 M KOH solution. The potential gap between the ORR and OER was only 0.700 V in 0.1 M KOH solution. This trifunctional catalyst was further evaluated in energy devices including zinc-air batteries and water electrolysis. The liquid zinc-air battery assembly achieved a power density of 169 mW cm^-2 and stably undergoes charge-discharge cycles for 210 hours. The solid-state zinc-air battery achieved a power density of 70 mW cm^-2 and stably undergoes charge-discharge cycles for 40 hours. These performances surpassed the batteries assembled with a Pt/C-RuO₂ mixed catalyst. This work established a foundation of composite catalysts coupled with bimetallic phosphide and hybrid carbon substrates, which will promote the development of high-performance multifunctional catalysts and their application in energy devices.