A Stable Rechargeable Aqueous Zn–Oxygen Battery with Mn-based Bifunctional Electrocatalysts

Abstract

One promising alternative for more efficient and sustainable energy storage systems is the utilization of Zn–O2 batteries, which boast higher energy densities compared with conventional Li-ion batteries. Despite their potential, Zn–O2 batteries are not yet widely used in industrial applications due to their low cyclability and dependence on Platinum Group Metals (PGM). To address these issues, in this research, the development of bifunctional electrocatalysts based on Mn is proposed. While widely documented electrocatalysts like MnO2 demonstrate excellent catalytic behavior for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR), they lack Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) capacity. In this study, bifunctional electrocatalysts are obtained through the incorporation of N (nitrogen) and C (carbon) by using urea and surfactants. The chemical, microstructural, and electrochemical properties of these electrocatalysts were thoroughly evaluated. The results reveal that these materials exhibit a promising catalytic capacity for both ORR and OER and a stable charge–discharge cycling performance reaching a discharge capacity of 800 mAh g–1.