A Highly Efficient and Robust Cation Ordered Perovskite Oxide as a Bifunctional Catalyst for Rechargeable Zinc-Air Batteries

Of the various catalysts that have been developed to date for high performance and low cost, perovskite oxides have attracted attention due to their inherent catalytic activity as well as structural flexibility. In particular, high amounts of Pr substitution of the cation ordered perovskite oxide originating from the state-of-the-art Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3−δ (BSCF) electrode could be a good electrode or catalyst because of its high oxygen kinetics, electrical conductivity, oxygen capacity, and structural stability. However, even though it has many favorable intrinsic properties, the conventional high-temperature treatment for perovskite synthesis, such as solid-state reaction and combustion process, leads to the particle size increase which gives rise to the decrease in surface area and the mass activity. Therefore, we prepared mesoporous nanofibers of various cation-ordered PrBa0.5Sr0.5Co2–xFexO5+δ (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2) perovskites via electrospinning. The well-controlled B-site metal ratio and large surface area (∼20 m2 g–1) of mesoporous nanofiber result in high performance of the oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction and stability in zinc-air battery.