Iron-incorporated nitrogen-doped carbon materials as oxygen reduction electrocatalysts for zinc-air batteries

The application of electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is vital in a variety of energy conversion technologies. Exploring low-cost ORR catalysts with high activity and long-term stability is highly desirable, although it still remains challenging. Herein, we report a facile and reliable route to convert ZIF-8 modified by Fe-phenanthroline into Fe-incorporated and N-doped carbon dodecahedron nanoarchitecture (Fe-NCDNA), in which carbon nanosheets are formed in situ as the building blocks with uniform Fe-N-C species decoration. Systematic electrochemical studies demonstrate that the as-synthesized Fe-NCDNA electrocatalyst possesses highly attractive catalytic features toward the ORR in terms of activity and durability in both alkaline and neutral media. The Zn-air battery with the optimal Fe-NCDNA catalyst as the cathode performs impressively, delivering a power density of 184 mW cm–2 and a specific capacity of 801 mAh g–1; thus, it exhibits great competitive advantages over those of the Zn-air devices employing a Pt-based cathode electro catalyst.