Hierarchical nanostructured NiCo2O4 as an efficient bifunctional non-precious metal catalyst for rechargeable zinc–air batteries
- 2 January 2014
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) in Nanoscale
- Vol. 6 (6), 3173-3181
- https://doi.org/10.1039/c3nr05835b
Abstract
A nickel-doped cobalt oxide spinel structure is a promising non-precious metal electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction in rechargeable metal–air batteries and water electrolyzers operating with alkaline electrolytes. One dimensional NiCo2O4 (NCO) nanostructures were prepared by using a simple electrospinning technique with two different metal precursors (metal nitrate/PAN and metal acetylacetonate/PAN). The effect of precursor concentration on the morphologies was investigated. Single-phase, NCO with an average diameter of 100 nm, porous interconnected fibrous morphology was revealed by FESEM and FETEM analysis. The hierarchical nanostructured 1D-spinel NiCo2O4 materials showed a remarkable electrocatalytic activity towards oxygen reduction and evolution in an aqueous alkaline medium. The extraordinary bi-functional catalytic activity towards both ORR and OER was observed by the low over potential (0.84 V), which is better than that of noble metal catalysts [Pt/C (1.16 V), Ru/C (1.01 V) and Ir/C (0.92 V)], making them promising cathode materials for metal–air batteries. Furthermore, the rechargeable zinc–air battery with NCO-A1 as a bifunctional electrocatalyst displays high activity and stability during battery discharge, charge, and cycling processes.Keywords
This publication has 44 references indexed in Scilit:
- Efficient air-breathing biocathodes for zinc/oxygen batteriesJournal of Power Sources, 2013
- Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst Based on Strongly Coupled Cobalt Oxide Nanocrystals and Carbon NanotubesJournal of the American Chemical Society, 2012
- Electrocatalysts for Nonaqueous Lithium–Air Batteries: Status, Challenges, and PerspectiveACS Catalysis, 2012
- Covalent Hybrid of Spinel Manganese–Cobalt Oxide and Graphene as Advanced Oxygen Reduction ElectrocatalystsJournal of the American Chemical Society, 2012
- Co3O4 nanocrystals on graphene as a synergistic catalyst for oxygen reduction reactionNature Materials, 2011
- Metal–Air Batteries with High Energy Density: Li–Air versus Zn–AirAdvanced Energy Materials, 2010
- Lithium−Air Battery: Promise and ChallengesThe Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 2010
- Electrocatalysts for bifunctional oxygen/air electrodesJournal of Power Sources, 2008
- Building better batteriesNature, 2008
- Bifunctional oxygen/air electrodesJournal of Power Sources, 2005