Advanced Hollow Cubic FeCo ‐N‐C Cathode Electrocatalyst for Ultrahigh‐Power Aluminum–Air Battery

FeCo –HNC, featuring atomically dispersed dual metal sites and a hollow cubic structure, exhibits a half-wave potential of 0.907 V. Integrated into an aluminum–air battery, it attains unprecedented power densities of 804 mW cm−2 in ambient air and 1200  mW cm−2 in an oxygen-rich environment, showcasing stability over an impressive 200  h continuous operation. AbstractThe exploration of electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is pivotal in the development of diverse batteries and fuel cells that rely on ORR. Here, a FeCo-N-C electrocatalyst (FeCo –HNC) featuring with atomically dispersed dual metal sites (Fe–Co) and hollow cubic structure is reported, which exhibits high activity for electrocatalysis of ORR in alkaline electrolyte, as evidenced by a half-wave potential of 0.907 V, outperforming that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The practicality of such FeCo–HNC catalyst is demonstrated by integrating it as the cathode catalyst into an alkaline aluminum–air battery (AAB) paring with an aluminum plate serving as the anode. This AAB demonstrates an unprecedented power density of 804 mW cm−2 in ambient air and an impressive 1200  mW cm−2 in an oxygen-rich environment. These results not only establish a new benchmark but also set a groundbreaking record for the highest power density among all AABs reported to date. Moreover, they stand shoulder to shoulder with state-of-the-art H2–O2 fuel cells. This AAB exhibits robust stability...
Source: Small - Category: Nanotechnology Authors: Tags: Research Article Source Type: research