Filter paper derived three-dimensional mesoporous carbon with Co3O4 loaded on surface: An excellent binder-free air-cathode for rechargeable Zinc-air battery

Abstract As promising energy storage equipment, Zn-air battery exhibits the advantage of high energy density, lightweight and compact structure over other rechargeable batteries, which is an ideal choice for electric vehicles. For Zn-air battery, the activity of air cathode plays an important role in its performance. Here, we report the fabrication of Co3O4 based bulky electrode with three-dimensional mesoporous carbon as matrix, which originates from cheap filter paper precursor. This electrode exhibits excellent activity and durability in oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) process, which possesses small half-wave potential (ORR1/2 = 0.811 V) and low overpotential (OER10 = 1.518 V) for ORR and OER, respectively. With this electrode as air cathode directly, a rechargeable Zn-air battery is assembled successfully. During discharge process, the maximum power density of this Zn-air battery achieves 71 mW cm−2. Furthermore, it also exhibits high specific capacity (828 mAh g−1 at 20 mA cm−2, 544 mAh g−1 at 50 mA cm−2) and small voltage gap (0.91 V at 10 mA cm−2) in charge and discharge process. As a rechargeable battery, it also shows promising stability after long time charge-discharge experiments. Thus, we find out a simple and convenient method to fabricate cheap and effective bi-functional air cathode for rechargeable Zn-air battery.

[1]  Haoran Li,et al.  A novel composite (FMC) to serve as a durable 3D-clam-shaped bifunctional cathode catalyst for both primary and rechargeable zinc-air batteries. , 2017, Science bulletin.

[2]  Xueqin Zhang,et al.  Advanced flower-like Co3O4 with ultrathin nanosheets and 3D rGO aerogels as double ion-buffering reservoirs for asymmetric supercapacitors , 2018 .

[3]  E. Wang,et al.  N-Doped graphene-coated molybdenum carbide nanoparticles as highly efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction , 2016 .

[4]  Fuyi Chen,et al.  Facile preparation of Ag-Cu bifunctional electrocatalysts for zinc-air batteries , 2015 .

[5]  Z. Shariatinia,et al.  Synthesis of star-like MnO 2 -CeO 2 /CNT composite as an efficient cathode catalyst applied in lithium-oxygen batteries , 2016 .

[6]  Wei Zhang,et al.  Morphology-Controllable Synthesis of Zn-Co-Mixed Sulfide Nanostructures on Carbon Fiber Paper Toward Efficient Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries and Water Electrolysis. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[7]  Pucheng Pei,et al.  Technologies for extending zinc–air battery’s cyclelife: A review , 2014 .

[8]  H. Fu,et al.  The electrodeposition of manganese oxide on graphite electrode in-situ exfoliated for solid state rechargeable Zn-oxygen battery , 2018 .

[9]  T. Chen,et al.  Pine needle-derived microporous nitrogen-doped carbon frameworks exhibit high performances in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and supercapacitors. , 2017, Nanoscale.

[10]  A. Manthiram,et al.  LaTi0.65Fe0.35O3−δ nanoparticle-decorated nitrogen-doped carbon nanorods as an advanced hierarchical air electrode for rechargeable metal-air batteries , 2015 .

[11]  Tao An,et al.  Co3O4 nanoparticles grown on N-doped Vulcan carbon as a scalable bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc–air batteries , 2015 .

[12]  Huijun Zhao,et al.  Co/CoO nanoparticles immobilized on Co-N-doped carbon as trifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction, oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions. , 2016, Chemical communications.

[13]  Yueqing Zheng,et al.  Mesoporous Co 3 O 4 anchored on the graphitic carbon nitride for enhanced performance supercapacitor , 2018 .

[14]  Xiaodong Chen,et al.  Rational design of hollow N/Co-doped carbon spheres from bimetal-ZIFs for high-efficiency electrocatalysis , 2017 .

[15]  Y. Tong,et al.  In Situ Activation of 3D Porous Bi/Carbon Architectures: Toward High‐Energy and Stable Nickel–Bismuth Batteries , 2018, Advanced materials.

[16]  X. Qi,et al.  Monodispersed Co in Mesoporous Polyhedrons: Fine-tuning of ZIF-8 Structure with Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Activity , 2017 .

[17]  Arumugam Manthiram,et al.  “Wiring” Fe‐Nx‐Embedded Porous Carbon Framework onto 1D Nanotubes for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline and Acidic Media , 2017, Advanced materials.

[18]  Min Wei,et al.  Directed synthesis of carbon nanotube arrays based on layered double hydroxides toward highly-efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysis , 2017 .

[19]  Douglas G. Ivey,et al.  Manganese-cobalt mixed oxide film as a bifunctional catalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries , 2016 .

[20]  Zhaoping Liu,et al.  Oxygen reduction reaction catalysts of manganese oxide decorated by silver nanoparticles for aluminum-air batteries , 2016 .

[21]  Subodh G. Mhaisalkar,et al.  Silver nanoparticle-decorated carbon nanotubes as bifunctional gas-diffusion electrodes for zinc–air batteries , 2010 .

[22]  Guangyuan Zheng,et al.  Durable rechargeable zinc-air batteries with neutral electrolyte and manganese oxide catalyst , 2016 .

[23]  Yuyan Shao,et al.  Water‐Lubricated Intercalation in V2O5·nH2O for High‐Capacity and High‐Rate Aqueous Rechargeable Zinc Batteries , 2018, Advanced materials.

[24]  Y. Tong,et al.  Flexible Ultrafast Aqueous Rechargeable Ni//Bi Battery Based on Highly Durable Single‐Crystalline Bismuth Nanostructured Anode , 2016, Advanced materials.

[25]  B. Wang,et al.  Fe/Fe3C@C nanoparticles encapsulated in N-doped graphene–CNTs framework as an efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for robust rechargeable Zn–air batteries , 2018 .

[26]  D. Ivey,et al.  Rechargeable Zn-air batteries: Progress in electrolyte development and cell configuration advancement , 2015 .

[27]  Zeyuan Ma,et al.  Growth of oxygen bubbles during recharge process in zinc-air battery , 2015 .

[28]  L. Lei,et al.  Synthesis and electrochemical evaluation of La1−xSrxMnO3 catalysts for zinc-air batteries , 2016, Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry.

[29]  Cheng Hou,et al.  Nitrogen‐Doped Co3O4 Mesoporous Nanowire Arrays as an Additive‐Free Air‐Cathode for Flexible Solid‐State Zinc–Air Batteries , 2017, Advanced materials.

[30]  Chenglin Yan,et al.  Unprecedented Activity of Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for High Power Density Aqueous Zinc-Air Batteries. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[31]  Qin Zhong,et al.  A Highly Efficient and Robust Cation Ordered Perovskite Oxide as a Bifunctional Catalyst for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries. , 2017, ACS nano.

[32]  Wenbin Hu,et al.  Ultrathin Co3O4 nanofilm as an efficient bifunctional catalyst for oxygen evolution and reduction reaction in rechargeable zinc-air batteries. , 2017, Nanoscale.

[33]  S. Khan,et al.  MoP/Mo2C@C: A New Combination of Electrocatalysts for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution over the Entire pH Range. , 2017, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[34]  F. Ding,et al.  Templated-preparation of a three-dimensional molybdenum phosphide sponge as a high performance electrode for hydrogen evolution , 2016 .

[35]  Ja-Yeon Choi,et al.  Morphologically controlled Co3O4 nanodisks as practical bi-functional catalyst for rechargeable zinc–air battery applications , 2014 .

[36]  M. Prabu,et al.  CoMn2O4 nanoparticles anchored on nitrogen-doped graphene nanosheets as bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc–air battery , 2014 .

[37]  Q. Shen,et al.  Co3O4 nanorods–graphene composites as catalysts for rechargeable zinc-air battery , 2016, Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry.

[38]  Zhaoping Liu,et al.  La0.7(Sr0.3-xPdx)MnO3 as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in aluminum air battery , 2017 .

[39]  Tianxi Liu,et al.  Flexible Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber@NiS Core/Sheath Hybrid Membranes as Binder‐Free Anodes for Highly Reversible Lithium Storage , 2016 .

[40]  Min-Sik Park,et al.  Improved reversibility of Zn anodes for rechargeable Zn-air batteries by using alkoxide and acetate ions , 2016 .

[41]  Hui Xu,et al.  Transition metal (Fe, Co, Ni, and Mn) oxides for oxygen reduction and evolution bifunctional catalysts in alkaline media , 2016 .

[42]  Prashant K. Sharma,et al.  Cow Dung Derived PdNPs@WO3 Porous Carbon Nanodiscs as Trifunctional Catalysts for Design of Zinc–Air Batteries and Overall Water Splitting , 2017 .

[43]  Chi-Chang Hu,et al.  Development and characterization of bi-functional air electrodes for rechargeable zinc-air batteries: Effects of carbons , 2017 .

[44]  Chi-Chang Hu,et al.  Novel configuration of bifunctional air electrodes for rechargeable zinc–air batteries , 2016 .

[45]  R. Johnston,et al.  Silver-Copper Nanoalloy Catalyst Layer for Bifunctional Air Electrodes in Alkaline Media. , 2015, ACS applied materials & interfaces.

[46]  Yu-Lin Kuo,et al.  Study of Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/MnO2 as Composite Cathode Materials for Aluminum-Air Battery , 2015 .