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A Molecular Catalyst-Driven Sustainable Zinc-Air Battery Assembly.

Authors :: Saha S
Mitra S
Kharwar YP
Annadata HV
Roy S
Dutta A
Source :: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) [Small] 2024 Dec 05, pp. e2411021. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Dec 05.
Publication Year :: 2024
Publisher :: Ahead of Print
Abstract: Bidirectional oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts are key for molecular oxygen-centric renewable energy transduction via metal-air batteries. Here, a molecular cobalt complex is covalently tethered on a strategically functionalized silica surface that displayed both ORR and OER in alkaline media. The detailed X-ray absorbance spectroscopy (XAS) studies indicate that this catalyst retains its intrinsic molecular features while playing a central role during bidirectional electrocatalysis and demonstrating a relatively lower energy gap between O <subscript>2</subscript> /H <subscript>2</subscript> O interconversions. This robust molecular catalyst-silica composite (deposited on a porous carbon paper) is assembled along with a zinc foil and polymeric gel membrane to devise an active single-stack quasi-solid zinc-air battery (ZAB) setup. This quasi-solid ZAB assembly displayed impressive power density (60 mW cm <superscript>-2</superscript> @100 mA cm <superscript>-2</superscript> ), specific capacity (818 mAh g <superscript>-1</superscript> @ 5mA cm <superscript>-2</superscript> ), energy density (757 Whkg <superscript>-1</superscript> @5mA cm <superscript>-2</superscript> ), and elongated charging/discharging life (28 h). An appropriate assembly of these ZAB units is able to power practical electronic appliances, requiring ≈1.6-6.0V potential requirements.<br /> (© 2024 Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)