Issue 39, 2024

Carbon nanosheet-supported CrN nanoparticles as efficient and robust oxygen reduction electrocatalysts in acidic media and seawater Zn–air batteries

Abstract

Exploring non-precious oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is essential to fuel cells and seawater metal–air batteries. Transition metal nitrides are promising ORR catalysts with high corrosion resistance but fail to render satisfactory ORR performance. Herein, we introduce a novel method for the synthesis of carbon nanosheet-supported transition metal nitrides. Using dicyandiamine (DCDA) as the nitrogen and carbon source, we prepared carbon nanosheet-supported CrN nanoparticles (CrN/CNS) via a two-step pyrolysis method. The optimal CrN/CNS material has an ORR half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.76 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in acidic media and 0.50 V vs. RHE in simulated seawater, which is one of the best among those reported for transition metal nitrides. Furthermore, the optimal material has remarkable ORR stability in both acidic media and simulated seawater. Its ORR E1/2 shows 27 mV decay in acidic media and 20 mV increase in simulated seawater after stability tests, outperforming a commercial Pt/C catalyst and many transition metal nitrides. More importantly, the optimal CrN/CNS material-based seawater Zn–air batteries (ZABs) exhibit good stability within 200 h constant discharging. It is found that both the proportion of the Cr–N valence state and the Cr content in surfaces played a key role in the ORR activity of CrN/CNS materials.

Graphical abstract: Carbon nanosheet-supported CrN nanoparticles as efficient and robust oxygen reduction electrocatalysts in acidic media and seawater Zn–air batteries

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 јун. 2024
Accepted
22 јул. 2024
First published
23 јул. 2024

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024,12, 26484-26492

Carbon nanosheet-supported CrN nanoparticles as efficient and robust oxygen reduction electrocatalysts in acidic media and seawater Zn–air batteries

Y. Zhang, H. Wu, J. Ma, J. Luo, Z. Lu, S. Feng, Y. Deng, H. Chen, Q. Wang, Z. Miao, P. Rao, N. Yu, Y. Yuan, J. Li and X. Tian, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2024, 12, 26484 DOI: 10.1039/D4TA04066J

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements