Efficient, low-cost, and long-lasting
electrocatalysts that accelerate
sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction
(ORR) kinetics are highly desirable for a variety of applications,
including metal–air batteries and fuel cells, but they are
uncommon. Such bifunctional catalysts are primarily harmed by either
low catalytic activity or degradation during prolonged cycling. We
devise a relatively low-temperature hydrothermal strategy for producing
a perovskite oxide-based catalyst composed of potassium-substituted
LaMnO3. In an alkaline environment, the catalyst performs
admirably, with improved kinetics and activity for the ORR (half-wave
potential of 0.78 V) and OER (potential at the current density of
10 mA cm–2 is 1.66 V). Furthermore, as a two-electrode
cell, this catalyst renders the potential for use as an electrode
in zinc–air batteries with unprecedented stability (no visible
sign of degradation even after 1000 cycles of charge–discharge).