Issue

Vol. 11 (2019)

Flexible, Porous, and Metal–Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Nanofibers as Efficient ORR Electrocatalysts for Zn–Air Battery

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-019-0238-4
Qijian Niu
Key Laboratory of carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China
Binling Chen
College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK
Junxia Guo
Key Laboratory of carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China
Jun Nie
Key Laboratory of carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China
Xindong Guo
Key Laboratory of carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China
Guiping Ma
Key Laboratory of carbon Fiber and Functional Polymers, Ministry of Education, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Guiping Ma

magp@mail.buct.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 11 (2019), Article Number: 8

Abstract

Developing an efficient and durable oxygen reduction electrocatalyst is critical for clean-energy technology, such as fuel cells and metal–air batteries. In this study, we developed a facile strategy for the preparation of flexible, porous, and well-dispersed metal–heteroatom-doped carbon nanofibers by direct carbonization of electrospun Zn/Co-ZIFs/PAN nanofibers (Zn/Co-ZIFs/PAN). The obtained Zn/Co and N co-doped porous carbon nanofibers carbonized at 800 °C (Zn/Co–N@PCNFs-800) presented a good flexibility, a continuous porous structure, and a superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalytic activity to that of commercial 20 wt% Pt/C, in terms of its onset potential (0.98 V vs. RHE), half-wave potential (0.89 V vs. RHE), and limiting current density (− 5.26 mA cm−2). In addition, we tested the suitability and durability of Zn/Co–N@PCNFs-800 as the oxygen cathode for a rechargeable Zn–air battery. The prepared Zn–air batteries exhibited a higher power density (83.5 mW cm−2), a higher specific capacity (640.3 mAh g−1), an excellent reversibility, and a better cycling life than the commercial 20 wt% Pt/C + RuO2 catalysts. This design strategy of flexible porous non-precious metal-doped ORR electrocatalysts obtained from electrospun ZIFs/polymer nanofibers could be extended to fabricate other novel, stable, and easy-to-use multi-functional electrocatalysts for clean-energy technology.


Highlights:


1 Doping and porosity generation were completed simultaneously.
2 Metal–heteroatom-doped carbon nanofibers are flexible, porous, and well dispersed.
3 Results include excellent oxygen reduction reaction and enhanced Zn–air battery performance.

Keywords

Electrospinning Zn/Co-ZIFs Carbon nanofibers Flexible porous structure ORR Zn–air battery
Niu, Qijian, Binling Chen, Junxia Guo, Jun Nie, Xindong Guo, and Guiping Ma. 2019. “Flexible, Porous, and Metal–Heteroatom-Doped Carbon Nanofibers As Efficient ORR Electrocatalysts for Zn–Air Battery”. Nano-Micro Letters 11 (January):8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-019-0238-4.
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