Self‐Assembly Strategy for Constructing Porous Boron and Nitrogen Co‐Doped Carbon as an Efficient ORR Electrocatalyst toward Zinc‐Air Battery

Abstract

Carbon nanomaterials doped with N and B could activate nearby carbon atoms to promote charge polarization through the synergistic coupling effect between N and B atoms, thus facilitating adsorption of O2 and weakening O‐O bond to enhance oxygen reduction reaction. Herein, a simple and controllable self‐assembly strategy is applied to synthesize porous B, N co‐doped carbon‐based catalysts (BCN‐P), which employs the macrocyclic molecule cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) as the carbon and nitrogen source, and 3D aromatic‐like closo‐[B12H12]2‐ as the boron source. In addition, polystyrene microspheres are added to help introduce porous structure to expose more active sites. Benefitting from the porous structures and the synergistic coupling effect between N and B atoms, BCN‐P has a high onset potential (Eonset=0.846 V) and half‐wave potential (E1/2=0.74 V) in alkaline media. The zinc‐air battery assembled with BCN‐P shows high operating voltage (1.42 V), peak power density (128.7 mW cm‐2) and stable charge/discharge cycles, which is even comparable with Pt/C.