Immobilization of iron phthalocyanine on MOF-derived N-doped carbon for promoting oxygen reduction in zinc-air battery

Anrui Dong; Yu Lin; Yuanyuan Guo; Dandan Chen; Xian Wang; Yongjie Ge; Qipeng Li; Jinjie Qian

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.043

Immobilization of iron phthalocyanine on MOF-derived N-doped carbon for promoting oxygen reduction in zinc-air battery

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Nov 15;650(Pt B):2056-2064. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.043. Epub 2023 Jun 13.

Authors

Anrui Dong¹, Yu Lin², Yuanyuan Guo¹, Dandan Chen¹, Xian Wang¹, Yongjie Ge¹, Qipeng Li³, Jinjie Qian⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Carbon Materials of Zhejiang Province, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, PR China.
² Comprehensive Technical Service Center of Wenzhou Customs, Wenzhou, 325000, PR China.
³ College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Zhaotong University, Zhaotong, Yunnan 657000, PR China. Electronic address: qpli@ztu.edu.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Carbon Materials of Zhejiang Province, College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, PR China. Electronic address: jinjieqian@wzu.edu.cn.

PMID: 37330332
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.043

Abstract

Functional carbon nanomaterials play a crucial role in the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for sustainable fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In this study, we propose an effective approach to immobilize iron phthalocyanines (FePc) by employing a porous N-doped carbon material, denoted as NC-1000, derived from a sheet-shaped coordination polymer. The resulting NC-1000 possesses substantial porosity and abundant pore defects. The nitrogen sites within NC-1000 not only facilitate FePc adsorption but also optimize the electron distribution at the Fe-N site. The FePc@NC-1000 composite material exhibits a significant number of active centers in the form of Fe-N₄ moieties, showcasing satisfactory ORR activity. Specifically, it demonstrates an onset potential of 0.99 V, a positive half-wave potential of 0.86 V, a large limiting current of 5.96 mA cm^-2, and a small Tafel slope of 44.41 mV dec^-1. Additionally, theoretical calculations and experimental results confirm the favorable performance and durability of zinc-air batteries assembled using FePc@NC-1000, thereby highlighting their considerable potential for practical applications. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive exploration of the enhanced catalytic performance and increased stability of metal-organic framework-derived functional carbon nanomaterials as cost-effective, efficient, and stable catalysts for the ORR.

Keywords: Carbon nanosheet; Fe phthalocyanine; Metal-organic framework; Oxygen reduction; Zinc-air battery.