Mnx(PO4)y/NPC As a High Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Electrode Reactions

Abstract

Developing highly efficient and durable bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is quite important for developing rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Herein, one kind of manganese phosphate-based electrocatalyst (Mn-x(PO4)(y)/NPC) with high specific surface area (1106.9 m(2) g(-1)) is prepared via a facile and scalable avenue, which possesses remarkable catalytic performance for the both ORR and OER, indicated by a more positive half-wave potential of 0.87 V in 0.1 M KOH for the ORR as well as an overpotential of 0.37 V to achieve the current density of 10 mA cm(-2) in 1 M KOH for the OER. Furthermore, the Mn-x(PO4)(y)/NPC assembled rechargeable zinc-air battery shows an excellent charge-discharge cycling performance, revealed by the smaller sum of charge-discharge potentials, comparable to that of Pt/C+IrO2. This research adds a new kind of electrocatalyst into the family of non-noble metal-based bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries.