Efficient spinel iron-cobalt oxide/nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon catalyst for rechargeable zinc-air batteries

A robust oxygen-related electrocatalyst, composed of spinel iron-cobalt oxide and nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon (NOMC), was developed for rechargeable metal-air batteries. Electrochemical tests revealed that the optimal catalyst Fe0.5Co/NOMC exhibits superior activity with a half-wave potential of 0.89 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) for the oxygen reduction reaction and an overpotential of 0.31 V at 10 mA cm−2 for the oxygen evolution reaction. For demonstration, the catalyst was used in the assembly of a rechargeable zinc-air battery, which exhibited an exceptionally high energy density of 820 Wh kg−1 at 100 mA cm−2, a high power density of 153 mW cm−2 at 1.0 V, and superior cycling stability up to 432 cycles (144 h) under ambient air