Co-modified polyoxovanadoborates derived Co/BN-CNT/VN based bifunctional electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Haiyan Zheng; Jun Zhong; Xinyan Liu; Ying Zhu; Baoshan Hou; Liang Zhao; Chunyi Sun; Xinlong Wang; Zhongmin Su

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.083

Co-modified polyoxovanadoborates derived Co/BN-CNT/VN based bifunctional electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Mar 15:634:675-683. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.083. Epub 2022 Dec 20.

Authors

Haiyan Zheng¹, Jun Zhong², Xinyan Liu¹, Ying Zhu¹, Baoshan Hou¹, Liang Zhao³, Chunyi Sun⁴, Xinlong Wang¹, Zhongmin Su⁵

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Power Battery Institution, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130024 Jilin, China.
² Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials & Devices, Institute of Functional Nano & Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, 199 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, 215123 Jiangsu, China.
³ Key Laboratory of National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Power Battery Institution, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130024 Jilin, China. Electronic address: zhaoliang@nenu.edu.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of National & Local United Engineering Laboratory for Power Battery Institution, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130024 Jilin, China. Electronic address: suncy009@nenu.edu.cn.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, China.

PMID: 36563424
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.083

Abstract

Rational design of high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts to accelerate the sluggish oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) in rechargeable Zn-air batteries remain an enduring challenge. The construction of multicomponent catalysts is a promising solution to achieve this goal. Herein, B and N co-doped interconnecting graphite carbon and carbon nanotube with the decoration of Co and vanadium nitride (VN) nanoparticles (Co/BN-CNT/VN) are synthesized using Co-modified polyoxovanadoborates as precursors. The optimized composite achieves superior bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic activity and stability, which is comparable to noble metal catalysts and reported bifunctional electrocatalysts. Specifically, the half-potential of ORR reaches 0.85 V, and the overpotential of OER is low to 296 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2. Strikingly, zinc-air batteries assembled based on Co/BN-CNT/VN demonstrate a small charge-discharge voltage gap of 0.873 V, a remarkable peak-power density of 156.3 mW cm^-2, and outstanding cycling durability (∼1000 cycles at 10 mA cm^-2). This work affords a new alternative strategy to create cost-effective and high-potency bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for advanced air batteries.

Keywords: Bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts; Co and VN nanoparticles; N and B co-doped carbon nanotubes; Polyoxometalates; Zinc-air battery.