(Co, Fe)3O4 Decorated Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanotubes in Nano‐Composite Gas Diffusion Layers as Highly Stable Bifunctional Catalysts for Rechargeable Zinc‐Air Batteries. Issue 2 (19th November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aasen, Drew; Clark, Michael P.; Ivey, Douglas G.
• Is Part Of: Batteries & supercaps. Volume 3:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 174
• Page End: 184
• Publication Date: 2019-11-19
• Subjects: energy storage -- nanocatalysts -- oxygen evolution reaction -- oxygen reduction reaction -- Zn-air batteries; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; Electrodes -- Periodicals; Electric batteries -- Periodicals; 621.31242
• DOI: 10.1002/batt.201900168
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2566-6223

Abstract

Abstract: (Co, Fe)3 O4 nanoparticles are decorated onto N‐doped carbon nanotubes at room temperature through a simple mixing process and are simultaneously deposited within a porous gas diffusion layer (GDL) by an impregnation technique. The (Co, Fe)3 O4 nanoparticles are identified as the spinel phase through transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The composite GDL is used as the air electrode for Zn‐air batteries and shows excellent performance as a bifunctional catalyst with initial discharge and charge potentials of 1.19 V and 2.00 V, respectively, at 20 mA cm −2 . Cycling performance of the impregnated electrode compares favourably with benchmark Pt‐RuO2 catalysts at both 10 mA cm −2 and 20 mA cm −2 . The (Co, Fe)3 O4 /N‐CNT impregnated GDL had a final discharge/charge efficiency of 58.5 % after 100 h (200 cycles) of bifunctional cycling at 10 mA cm −2, which is superior to that of Pt‐RuO2 (55.3 % efficiency). The cycling efficiency for (Co, Fe)3 O4 /N‐CNT impregnated GDL at 20 mA cm −2 is also better than that for Pt−Ru (53.5 % vs 41.3 % after 50 h (100 cycles)). The result is a simple and easily scalable one‐pot electrode synthesis method for high performing bi‐functional air electrodes for Zn‐air batteries. Abstract : Breathable electrode : An electrically rechargeable Zn‐air battery using bifunctional, (Co, Fe)3 O4 decorated, N‐CNT catalysts in an impregnated air electrode has been demonstrated. The combined synthesis and electrode preparation allow for simple and scalable preparation of a highly stable bifunctional electrode. Battery cycling results show a minimal drop in efficiency (<2%) after 500 cycles (250 h) at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 .