Accelerated deprotonation with a hydroxy-silicon alkali solid for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Yaobin Wang; Xinlei Ge; Qian Lu; Wenjun Bai; Caichao Ye; Zongping Shao; Yunfei Bu

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-42728-y

Nature Communications (Nov 2023)

Accelerated deprotonation with a hydroxy-silicon alkali solid for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Yaobin Wang,
Xinlei Ge,
Qian Lu,
Wenjun Bai,
Caichao Ye,
Zongping Shao,
Yunfei Bu

Affiliations

Yaobin Wang: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, UNIST-NUIST Energy and Environment Jointed Lab, (UNNU), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST)
Xinlei Ge: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, UNIST-NUIST Energy and Environment Jointed Lab, (UNNU), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST)
Qian Lu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, UNIST-NUIST Energy and Environment Jointed Lab, (UNNU), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST)
Wenjun Bai: Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology
Caichao Ye: Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology
Zongping Shao: WA School of Mines: Minerals, Energy and Chemical Engineering (WASM-MECE), Curtin University
Yunfei Bu: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (AEMPC), Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, UNIST-NUIST Energy and Environment Jointed Lab, (UNNU), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST)

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-42728-y
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 1
pp. 1 – 10

Abstract

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Abstract Transition metal oxides are promising electrocatalysts for zinc-air batteries, yet surface reconstruction caused by the adsorbate evolution mechanism, which induces zinc-ion battery behavior in the oxygen evolution reaction, leads to poor cycling performance. In this study, we propose a lattice oxygen mechanism involving proton acceptors to overcome the poor performance of the battery in the OER process. We introduce a stable solid base, hydroxy BaCaSiO4, onto the surfaces of PrBa0.5Ca0.5Co2O5+δ perovskite nanofibers with a one-step exsolution strategy. The HO-Si sites on the hydroxy BaCaSiO4 significantly accelerate proton transfer from the OH* adsorbed on PrBa0.5Ca0.5Co2O5+δ during the OER process. As a proof of concept, a rechargeable zinc-air battery assembled with this composite electrocatalyst is stable in an alkaline environment for over 150 hours at 5 mA cm–2 during galvanostatic charge/discharge tests. Our findings open new avenues for designing efficient OER electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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