V5+-Doped Potassium Ferrite as an Efficient Trifunctional Catalyst for Large-Current-Density Water Splitting and Long-Life Rechargeable Zn-Air Battery

Developing non-noble metal catalyst with super trifunctional activities for efficient overall water splitting (OWS) and rechargeable Zn-air battery (ZAB) is urgently needed. However, catalysts with excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances are relatively few. Although metal-ionic-conductor K2Fe4O7 (KFO) can output large current densities for OER/HER even in 10.0 M KOH electrolyte, its water-splitting property still needs to be further improved. Herein, we introduced V5+ directly into KFO and synthesized the binder-free nickel foam (NF) basal V-KFO nanoparticles (labeled as V-KFO/NF). Both the theoretical analysis and actual experimental data certify that V5+ doping enhances the instinct water-splitting property of V-KFO/NF. Additionally, V-KFO/NF can directly serve as the air cathode of liquid/flexible ZABs. The assembled liquid ZAB can continue the charge-discharge cycling testing with a lower voltage gap (0.834 V) and a longer operation life (> 550 h) at 10 mA cm(-2). Meanwhile, the assembled flexible ZAB can drive the two-electrode water-splitting unit of V-KFO/NF and needs only 1.54 V to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm(-2), which is much lower than that of KFO/NF (1.59 V). This work not only provides a novel and efficient trifunctional catalyst for a self-powered water-splitting device but also is the foundation support for other heteroatom-doped low-cost materials.

Automated summary

The development of non-noble metal catalyst with super trifunctional activities is crucial for efficient overall water splitting and rechargeable Zn-air battery. In this study, V5+-doped potassium iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and used as the catalyst for water splitting and as an air cathode for Zn-air battery. The V5+-doped catalyst exhibited enhanced water-splitting performance and the assembled Zn-air battery showed a lower voltage gap and longer operation life. The flexible Zn-air battery also achieved high current density at a lower voltage compared to the control sample.