Microenvironment Tailoring of NiCo Alloys Coupled with FePc as Efficient Bifunctional Catalysts for High-Rate Zn-Air Batteries.

The practical application of Zn-air batteries require exploring cost-effective and durable bifunctional electrocatalysts. However, the simultaneous preparation of catalysts with bifunctional activities for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen precipitation reaction (OER) remains challenging. Herein, we synthesized a novel hybrid catalyst (FePc/NiCo/CNT), which couples NiCo alloy with FePc through electrostatic interaction.

Cu Regulating the Bifunctional Activity of Co-O Sites for the High-Performance Rechargeable Zinc-Air Battery.

The rational design of cost-effective and highly active electrocatalysts becomes the crucial energy storage technology to boost the kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which hinders the large-scale application of metal-air batteries under the situation of increasingly pressing energy anxiety. Herein, the Co-based ZIF introduced the moderate amount of Cu-derived Cu/Co metal nanoparticles (NPs) embedded in carbon frameworks after high-temperature calcination. The Co-O bond on the surface of Co nanoparticles is modulated by adjacent Cu nanoparticles with the surface Cu-O bonds.

Waste Lithium Ion Battery Evolves into Heteroatom Doped Carbon as Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst for Aqueous Al-Air Batteries.

Carbon based electrocatalysts prepared by recycling waste power batteries can not only realize the new utilization of waste energy materials, but also obtain cheap and efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalyst for metal-air battery. Based on the cathode carbon of waste LiFePO batteries, nitrogen doped carbon based catalyst NC-1000 is prepared by simple pyrolysis, acid dissolution of LiFePO and high temperature heteroatom doping. The catalyst is characterized by scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and Raman spectrum, and the electrochemical performances of the catalyst and Al-air battery were tested.

Thermal Migration Promotes the Formation of Manganese and Nitrogen Doped Polyhedral Surface for Boosted Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis.

Increasing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity of carbon-based electrocatalysts with robust stability is of great significance for their application. Herein, a feasible thermal migration strategy was proposed to construct manganese- and nitrogen-doped carbonaceous polyhedron frameworks coupled with manganese monoxide microrods (MnO-NC). Mn species were migrated to the surface of polyhedron frameworks, the shape of which was maintained at the high-temperature treatment.

Diatomite waste derived N-doped porous carbon for applications in the oxygen reduction reaction and supercapacitors.

Biomass waste recycling and utilization is of great significance for improving ecological environments and relieving the current energy crisis. Waste diatomite with an adsorbed mass of yeast protein resulting from beer filtration is feasibly converted into N-doped porous carbon (NPC) high temperature thermal treatment. The resulting NPC inherits the three-dimensional hierarchical structure of the diatomite, with a unique rich-pore feature composed of micro/meso/macropores, which is beneficial for high exposure of the electrocatalytic sites and ion transfer and diffusion.

Short-range amorphous carbon nanosheets for oxygen reduction electrocatalysis.

Selectively creating active sites that can work well in different media as much as possible remains an open challenge for the widespread application of sustainable metal air batteries and fuel cells. Herein, short-range amorphous nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (NCS) coupled with partially graphitized porous carbon architecture were reported, and were prepared flexible salt-assisted calcination strategy and followed by a simple cleaning process. The short-range amorphous structure not only significantly promotes the exposure of electrochemically active sites of carbon defects with less protonation in acidic medium, but also maintains the structural stability and electron conduction of the NCS.

Three-dimensional flower-like NiCoO/CNT for efficient catalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important reaction especially in water splitting and metal-air batteries. Highly efficient non-noble metal based electrocatalysts are urgently required to be developed and to replace the commercial Ru/Ir based oxide. Herein, we report the three-dimensional hierarchical NiCoO/CNT-150 composite with high activity for the OER that was synthesized a hydrothermal reaction and subsequent annealing.

LDHs derived nanoparticle-stacked metal nitride as interlayer for long-life lithium sulfur batteries.

Shuttle effect is one of the most serious disadvantages in lithium-sulfur battery which results in poor cycle performance and hinders the commercialization of Li-S battery. To reduce the dissolution of polysulfides into the electrolyte and prolong the cycling stability, nanoparticle-stacked metal nitride derived from layered double hydroxides (LDHs) as an interlayer was inserted between sulfur cathode and separator to confine polysulfides by physical and chemical interactions. Meanwhile, the surface of metal nitride will form an oxide passivation layer.

Sandwiched Thin-Film Anode of Chemically Bonded Black Phosphorus/Graphene Hybrid for Lithium-Ion Battery.

A facile vacuum filtration method is applied for the first time to construct sandwich-structure anode. Two layers of graphene stacks sandwich a composite of black phosphorus (BP), which not only protect BP from quickly degenerating but also serve as current collector instead of copper foil. The BP composite, reduced graphene oxide coated on BP via chemical bonding, is simply synthesized by solvothermal reaction at 140 °C.

Edge-rich and dopant-free graphene as a highly efficient metal-free electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

For the first time, we developed edge-rich and dopant-free graphene as a highly efficient ORR electrocatalyst. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the as-obtained edge-rich graphene showed excellent ORR activity through a one-step and four-electron pathway. With a similar strategy, edge-rich carbon nanotubes and graphite can also be obtained with enhanced ORR activity.

A simple approach to the synthesis of BCN graphene with high capacitance.

Boron and nitrogen co-doped graphene (BCN graphene) was prepared through a simple thermal annealing approach in the presence of a single compound, melamine diborate. The as-prepared samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Raman spectra and electrochemical techniques. The BCN graphene shows significantly enhanced specific capacitance due to boron and nitrogen co-doping, which permits higher overall doping levels.

Sulfur-doped graphene derived from cycled lithium-sulfur batteries as a metal-free electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Heteroatom-doped carbon materials have been extensively investigated as metal-free electrocatalysts to replace commercial Pt/C catalysts in oxygen reduction reactions in fuel cells and Li-air batteries. However, the synthesis of such materials usually involves high temperature or complicated equipment. Graphene-based sulfur composites have been recently developed to prolong the cycling life of Li-S batteries, one of the most attractive energy-storage devices.

One-pot synthesis of nitrogen and sulfur co-doped graphene as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Novel N, S co-doped graphene (NSG) was prepared by annealing graphene oxide with thiourea as the single N and S precursor. The NSG electrodes, as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts, show a direct four-electron reaction pathway, high onset potential, high current density and high stability for the oxygen reduction reaction.