First‐Principles Investigations on Effects of B‐Site Substitution (B═Mn, Fe, and Co) on La‐Based Perovskite Oxides As Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Rechargeable Metal–Air Batteries

Abstract

AbstractThe effects of B‐site substitution (B═Mn, Fe, and Co) in La‐based perovskite oxides (LPOs); LaMnO3, LaFeO3, LaCoO3, as bifunctional electrocatalysts during oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in metal–air batteries (MABs) under an alkaline electrolyte (pH = 13) are investigated using density functional theory (DFT). It is found that LaMnO3 exhibits higher ORR activity than others with ORR overpotential (ηORR) of 0.57 V, but its OER activity is poor with OER overpotential (ηOER) of 1.12 V. The ηORR (0.59 V) and ηOER (1.13 V) of LaMn0.75Fe0.25O3 closely resemble those of LaMnO3, suggesting that Fe substitution does not yield appreciable enhancements in activity. Fe substitution reduces the ORR and OER activity because the adsorption energies of intermediate species on Fe‐substituted LPOs surfaces are too strong to obtain a potential determining step for ORR and OER. According to Sabatier's principle, the LaMn0.25Co0.75O3 demonstrates superior OER activity compared to the other composition, while ORR activity approximates that of LaMnO3, evidenced by ηORR of 0.65 V and ηOER of 0.53 V. The Co‐terminated LaMn0.25Co0.75O3 shows bifunctional activity higher than Mn/Co termination, indicating that Co is an active site for OER and Mn is a promoter for improved ORR activity.