Interfacial Engineering of CoN/Co3O4 Heterostructured Hollow Nanoparticles Embedded in N‐Doped Carbon Nanowires as a Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst for Rechargeable Liquid and Flexible all‐Solid‐State Zn‐Air Batteries

• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202301324
• Publication Date: 2023-04-03T02:50:30Z
• Authors: Qixing Zhou; Sike Zhang; Guangyao Zhou; Huan Pang; Mingyi Zhang; Lin Xu; Kang Sun; Yawen Tang; Kai Huang
• Keywords: Overpotential; Oxygen evolution; Carbon fibers

Abstract The design of economical, efficient, and robust bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts is greatly imperative for the large‐scale commercialization rechargeable Zn‐air battery (ZAB) technology. Herein, neoteric an advanced electrocatalyst composed CoN/Co 3 O 4 heterojunction hollow nanoparticles in situ encapsulated porous N‐doped carbon nanowires (denoted as HNPs@NCNWs hereafter) reported. simultaneous implementation interfacial engineering, nanoscale hollowing design, carbon‐support hybridization renders synthesized with modified electronic structure, improved electric conductivity, enriched active sites, shortened electron/reactant transport pathways. Density functional theory computations further demonstrate that construction a can optimize reaction pathways reduce overall barriers. Thanks to composition architectural superiorities, exhibit distinguished reduction evolution performance low reversible overpotential 0.725 V outstanding stability KOH medium. More encouragingly, homemade liquid flexible all‐solid‐state ZABs utilizing air‐cathode deliver higher peak power densities, larger specific capacities, cycling stability, exceeding commercial Pt/C + RuO 2 benchmark counterparts. concept heterostructure‐induced modification herein may shed light on rational sustainable energy applications.