LaNiO<sub>3</sub> modified with Ag nanoparticles as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc--air batteries

doi:10.1007/s11706-019-0474-z

Front. Mater. Sci.

2019, Vol. 13

Issue (3) : 277-287 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-019-0474-z

RESEARCH ARTICLE

LaNiO₃ modified with Ag nanoparticles as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc--air batteries

Pengzhang LI^1,², Chuanjin TIAN², Wei YANG³, Wenyan ZHAO², Zhe LÜ¹(

)

¹. Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
². School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen 333001, China
³. School of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Jingdezhen Ceramic Institute, Jingdezhen 333403, China

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Abstract

No-precious bifunctional catalysts with high electrochemical activities and stability were crucial to properties of rechargeable zinc–air batteries. Herein, LaNiO₃ modified with Ag nanoparticles (Ag/LaNiO₃) was prepared by the co-synthesis method and evaluated as the bifunctional oxygen catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Compared with LaNiO₃, Ag/LaNiO₃ demonstrated the enhanced catalytic activity towards ORR/OER as well as higher limited current density and lower onset potential. Moreover, the potential gap between ORR potential (at −3 mA·cm⁻²) and OER potential (at 5 mA·cm⁻²) was 1.16 V. The maximum power density of the primary zinc–air battery with Ag/LaNiO₃ catalyst achieved 60 mW·cm⁻². Furthermore, rechargeable zinc–air batteries operated reversible charge–discharge cycles for 150 cycles without noticeable performance deterioration, which showed its excellent bifunctional activity and cycling stability as oxygen electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc–air batteries. These results indicated that Ag/LaNiO₃ prepared by the co-synthesis method was a promising bifunctional catalyst for rechargeable zinc–air batteries.

Keywords Ag/LaNiO₃ co-synthesis method oxygen reduction reaction oxygen evolution reaction rechargeable zinc--air battery

Corresponding Author(s): Zhe LÜ

Online First Date: 23 September 2019 Issue Date: 29 September 2019

Cite this article:

Pengzhang LI,Chuanjin TIAN,Wei YANG, et al. LaNiO₃ modified with Ag nanoparticles as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for rechargeable zinc--air batteries[J]. Front. Mater. Sci., 2019, 13(3): 277-287.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/foms/EN/10.1007/s11706-019-0474-z
https://academic.hep.com.cn/foms/EN/Y2019/V13/I3/277

Fig.1 XRD patterns of LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ powders.

Fig.2 (a) TEM and (b) HRTEM images of Ag/LaNiO₃ prepared by the co-synthesis method.

Fig.3 XPS spectrum survey scans of (a) LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ and (b) Ag 3d of Ag/LaNiO₃. High resolution O 1s spectra for (c) LaNiO₃ and (d) Ag/LaNiO₃.

Fig.4 ORR polarization curves of (a) LaNiO₃ and (b) Ag/LaNiO₃ at various rotating rates (the inset of each figure shows their corresponding K–L plots), and of (c) LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ at 1600 r·min⁻¹ with a scan rate of 10 mV·s⁻¹ in O₂-saturated 0.1 mol·L⁻¹ KOH.

Fig.5 Schematic diagram of ORR reaction process for Ag/LaNiO₃.

Fig.6 (a) OER polarization curves and (b) corresponded Tafel plots of LaNiO₃, Ag/LaNiO₃ and RuO₂. (c) The impedance spectra of LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ at the potential of 1.64 V vs. RHE.

Fig.7 (a) Polarization curves and corresponding power density plots and (b) long-term discharge curves of the primary zinc–air batteries with LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ cathode catalysts at 10 mA·cm⁻². (c) A photograph of two-series primary zinc–air batteries driving the LED pattern.

Fig.8 The discharge–charge cycling of rechargeable zinc–air batteries using LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ with cycle periods of 30 min discharge and 30 min charge per cycle at 10 mA·cm⁻².

Fig. S1 (a)(b) SEM image of LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃. (c)(d)(e)(f) The corresponding La, Ni, Ag and O elemental mappings of Ag/LaNiO₃.

Fig. S2 CV curves of (a) LaNiO₃ and (b) Ag/LaNiO₃ in 0.1 mol·L⁻¹ KOH saturated with Ar or O₂ at a scan rate of 10 mV·s⁻¹.

Fig. S3 Open circuit voltage of primary zinc–air batteries with LaNiO₃ and Ag/LaNiO₃ as catalysts.

Fig. S4 (a)I–V and I–P curves and (b) discharge curves at 10 mA·cm⁻² of primary zinc–air batteries LSCN for five replace zinc electrodes.

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