Novel guar‐gum electrolyte to aggrandize the performance of LaMnO3 perovskite‐based zinc‐air batteries.

The felicitous electrolyte with advance electrodes (cathode and anode) results in the development of an improved and efficacious battery/fuel cell. Perovskite based zinc‐air batteries with biological gel electrolyte prove to outperform the aqueous batteries. In this research, a zinc‐air battery was developed using a novel biocompatible electrolyte, Guar‐gum employing LaMnO3 (LMO) perovskite as a bi‐functional electro‐catalyst. The performance of the developed perovskite catalyst in guar‐gum electrolyte was obtained and compared with the performance of the material in both polymer gel (polyvinyl alcohol‐KOH) and aqueous medium. The bi‐functional catalyst shows enhanced catalytic activity, endurance and durability in alkaline medium with an open circuit voltage of 1.40 V, power density of 9.77 mW cm−2 at the current density of 11.12 mA cm−2 and a specific capacity of 2624 mAh g−1 comparatively competent with respect to the PVA‐based battery with the specific capacitance of 753 mAh g−1. Also, the rechargeable LMO zinc‐air battery exhibited excellent cycling stability at a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Thus, the results obtained proved the competent performance of the guar‐gum electrolyte compared to the previous developed polymer electrolyte. This is how the combination of LMO in the guar‐gum electrolyte is seen to be successful for commercial use in metal‐air batteries and fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]