College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Institute of New Materials and Industrial Technologies, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P. R. China; Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Gaopeng Jiang
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Ya-Ping Deng
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Guihua Liu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Dezhang Ren
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Zhen Zhang
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Jianbing Zhu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Rui Gao
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Yi Jiang
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Dan Luo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Yanfei Zhu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Dai-Huo Liu
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Altamash M. Jauhar
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
Huile Jin
College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Institute of New Materials and Industrial Technologies, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P. R. China
Yongfeng Hu
Canadian Light Source, University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2V3, Canada
Shun Wang
College of Chemistry and Materials Engineering, Institute of New Materials and Industrial Technologies, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, P. R. China; Corresponding author
Zhongwei Chen
Department of Chemical Engineering, Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada; Corresponding author
Summary: Metal organic framework (MOF) derivatives have been extensively used as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. However, the utilization of active sites is still not satisfactory owing to the sluggish mass transport within their narrow pore channels. Herein, interconnected macroporous channels were constructed inside MOFs-derived Co-Nx-C electrocatalyst to unblock the mass transfer barrier. The as-synthesized electrocatalyst exhibits a honeycomb-like morphology with highly exposed Co-Nx-C active sites on carbon frame. Owing to the interconnected ordered macropores throughout the electrocatalyst, these active sites can smoothly “exhale/inhale” reactants and products, enhancing the accessibility of active sites and the reaction kinetics. As a result, the honeycomb-like Co-Nx-C displayed a potential difference of 0.773 V between the oxygen evolution reaction potential at 10 mA cm−2 and the oxygen reduction reaction half-wave potential, much lower than that of bulk-Co-Nx-C (0.842 V). The rational modification on porosity makes such honeycomb-like MOF derivative an excellent bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst in rechargeable Zn-air batteries.
