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Oxidizing Vacancies in Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Enhance Air‐Cathode Activity
Author(s) -
Wang Mengfan,
Wang Weipeng,
Qian Tao,
Liu Sisi,
Li Yutao,
Hou Zhufeng,
Goodenough John B.,
Ajayan Pulickel M.,
Yan Chenglin
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201803339
Subject(s) - oxidizing agent , materials science , carbon fibers , oxygen , cathode , nitrogen , chemisorption , catalysis , inorganic chemistry , doping , battery (electricity) , chemical engineering , chemistry , organic chemistry , power (physics) , physics , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , composite number , engineering , composite material
Oxidizing vacancies in nitrogen‐doped carbon have recently been reported to enhance the oxygen reaction activity of air cathodes, but their specific role has remained elusive and controversial. Herein, the critical role of oxidizing the vacancies in enhancing the oxygen reduction reaction for metal–air battery is identified with density functional theory. Deliberate introduction of oxygen‐enriched vacancies in nitrogen‐doped carbon is shown experimentally to provide superior oxygen reduction activity. In situ X‐ray powder diffraction gives direct observation of the oxygen reactions in a zinc–air battery catalyzed by vacancy‐enriched oxidized carbon; the intensity changes of the carbon peak show continuous chemisorption of oxygen intermediates on the carbon cathode during discharge. The air‐cathode performance is shown to exceed that with Pt/C+IrO 2 catalysts.