Affiliation:
1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering School of Chemical Engineering East China University of Science and Technology Shanghai 200237 China
2. Laboratory Management Office of Qinghai University Qinghai University Xining 810016 China
Abstract
AbstractDeveloping low‐cost, eco‐friendly, and efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for both oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important issue for zinc‐air batteries. In this study, HMT‐Co/G‐700 catalyst with nanoflower structure and Co, N co‐doped carbon encapsulated Co@Co3O4 nanoparticles are synthesized from D‐glucose, hexamethylenetetramine (HMT), and Co(NO3)2. HMT is presented as the complex to uniformly disperse Co@Co3O4 nanoparticles, dope nitrogen, and create the nanoflower structure. The nanoflower structure enhances high surface area to expose the active sites. The formation of Co3O4 via mild oxidation of Co surface provides oxygen vacancies to adsorb O2. HMT‐Co/G‐700 catalyst exhibits excellent ORR electrocatalytic property, i. e. high onset potential (1.03 V), high half‐wave potential (0.83 V), low Tafel slope (85.9 mV dec−1), and superior OER activity. Especially, the HMT‐Co/G‐700 catalyst assembled rechargeable zinc‐air battery present high‐power density (111.0 mW cm−2) and long cycle life at 10 mA cm−2 (576 cycles).
Funder
National Key Research and Development Program of China
Subject
Materials Chemistry,Energy Engineering and Power Technology,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Biomaterials