Three-Dimensional Fe Single-Atom Catalyst for High-Performance Cathode of Zn-Air Batteries

Designing cost-effective and highly active oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is critical for the development of Zn-air batteries (ZABs). Iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) catalysts with single-atom Fe-Nx active sites are considered as one of the most promising alternatives to noble Pt but are hindered by unsatisfactory activity and durability. Herein, a NaCl template-assisted in situ pyrolysis technique is utilized to massively fabricate Fe-N-C single-atom catalysts (SACs) anchored on the three-dimensional open-pore carbon networks (denoted as 3D SAFe). The 3D SAFe catalyst exhibits ultrahigh activity with a half-wave potential of 0.90 V (vs RHE), benefiting from the enhanced mass diffusion and the increased amount of effective Fe-N(4 )sites. Consequently, the ZABs assembled with 3D SAFe deliver high peak power density up to 156 mW cm-2 and outstanding durability of 80 h, suggesting the application potential of the 3D SAFe catalyst. This work inspires the rational design and synthesis of highly efficient SACs for ZABs.

Automated summary

In this work, Fe-N-C single-atom catalysts (SACs) anchored on three-dimensional open-pore carbon networks (3D SAFe) were fabricated using a NaCl template-assisted in situ pyrolysis technique. The 3D SAFe catalyst exhibited ultrahigh activity and durability, resulting in ZABs with excellent performance.