Volume 46, Issue 10 pp. 13528-13540
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Mn2V2O7 spiked ball-like material as bifunctional oxygen catalyst for zinc-air batteries

B. N. Vamsi Krishna

B. N. Vamsi Krishna

Department of Electronics and Information Convergence Engineering, Institute for Wearable Convergence Electronics, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

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Sasidharachari Kammari

Sasidharachari Kammari

Department of Electronics and Information Convergence Engineering, Institute for Wearable Convergence Electronics, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

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Jae Su Yu

Corresponding Author

Jae Su Yu

Department of Electronics and Information Convergence Engineering, Institute for Wearable Convergence Electronics, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Correspondence

Jae Su Yu, Department of Electronics and Information Convergence Engineering, Institute for Wearable Convergence Electronics, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 17104, South Korea.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 13 May 2022
Citations: 5

Funding information: National Research Foundation of Korea, Grant/Award Numbers: 2017H1D8A1031522, 2020R1A2B5B01002318

Summary

Hierarchical micro/nanostructures are believed to be magnificent electrocatalyst materials capable of competing with noble metals and the most expensive catalyst materials for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, Mn2V2O7-based hierarchical spiked ball structures (MVO SBs) were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal technique as a bifunctional oxygen catalyst for rechargeable Zn-air batteries. The linear sweep voltammetry by a rotating disc electrode was used to investigate the ORR and OER properties and their mechanisms, and the charge transfer mechanism was also studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis. When compared with platinum with carbon black (Pt/C), the MVO SB catalyst material exhibited comparable ORR and OER properties. Furthermore, the MVO SB material revealed a 4e transfer pathway in an electrolyte solution. Furthermore, the prepared MVO SB material demonstrated a lower charge-discharge voltage gap when compared with Pt/C material, which is lower than 180 mV at 45 mA cm−2. The cycling test result of MVO SB catalyst sample revealed excellent cycling stability over 50 charging and discharging cycles (~800 min) than the Pt/C sample (30 cycles [~520 min]). The good catalytic activity and excellent structural stability of the MVO SB material are especially due to the more active sites enhanced by the unique spiked ball-like morphology and high specific surface area (11.70 m2 g−1) properties. The achieved results suggest that the synthesized catalyst material could be employed as an oxygen catalyst material for rechargeable Zn-air batteries.

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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