Reactivity and Durability of Covalent Organic Frameworks Derived Co‐Based Hybrid Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zinc‐Air Batteries

• Published in: ChemNanoMat : chemistry of nanomaterials for energy, biology and more biology and more, 2024-08, Vol.10 (8), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yuling L., Xiao, Longfei F., Mo, Yiping P., Liu, Guilin L., Liu, Shanshan S., Lu, Wangyang Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst; covalent organic frameworks; Co−N doped; Zinc-air battery
• ISSN: 2199-692X; 2199-692X
• DOI: 10.1002/cnma.202400068

Developing bifunctional non‐precious metal electrocatalysts of superior reactivity and durability is essential. Herein, we report a class of phthalocyanine‐based covalent organic frameworks as self‐sacrificial precursors derived Co‐based hybrid electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The fabricated Co‐COFs/CNT‐700 catalysts displayed highly efficient ORR properties with a half‐potential of 0.83 V, while its half‐wave potential in alkaline solution at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 is 1.70 V in the OER test, reflecting exceptional OER activity. Moreover, zinc‐air batteries assembled with Co‐COFs/CNT‐700 catalysts exhibit a marginally higher power density (114 mW cm2) than traditional Pt/C−IrO2 batteries in an air atmosphere, along with an enhanced cycling stability (5.1 % potential loss after 65 h). This work may pave a facile and efficient approach for fabricating electrocatalytic materials with controllably introduced metals and heteroatoms. A class of Co‐based hybrid catalysts (Co‐COFs/CNTs‐X) based on few‐layer phthalocyanine COFs/CNT composites were synthesized for oxygen electrocatalysis, in which Co‐COF/CNT‐700 exhibited excellent ORR and OER activities. Furthermore, it was used as the air cathode in zinc‐air batteries and showed comparable performance with Pt/C−IrO2 as well as enhanced cycling stability. This study paves a convenient and efficient way to fabricate electrocatalytic materials with controllable introduction of metals and heteroatoms.