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Hydrophobic POM Electrocatalyst Achieves Low Voltage “Charge” in Zn‐Air Battery Coupled with Bisphenol A Degradation
Author(s) -
Yin Xunkai,
Zhang Zichun,
Yao Kequan,
Xu Xinxin,
Wang Yun
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202100412
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , electrolyte , overpotential , bisphenol a , battery (electricity) , chemistry , oxygen evolution , oxygen , chemical engineering , degradation (telecommunications) , cathode , bifunctional , materials science , inorganic chemistry , catalysis , electrochemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , engineering , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , epoxy , telecommunications , computer science
Zn‐air batteriesare a perspective power source for grid‐storage. But, after they are discharged at1.1 to 1.2 V, large overpotential is required for their charging (usually 2.5 V). This is due to a sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Incorporating organic pollutants into the cathode electrolyte is a feasible strategy for lowering the required charging potential. In the discharge process, the related oxygen reduction reaction, hydrophobic electrocatalysts are more popular than hydrophilic ones. Here, a hydrophobic bifunctional polyoxometalate electrocatalyst is synthesized by precise structural design. It shows excellent activities in both bisphenol A degradation and oxygen reduction reactions. In bisphenol A containing electrolyte, to achieve 100 mA ⋅ cm −2 , its potential is only 1.32 V, which is 0.34 V lower than oxygen evolution reaction. In the oxygen reduction reaction, this electrocatalyst follows the four‐electron mechanism. In both bisphenol A degradation and oxygen reduction reactions, it shows excellent stability. With this electrocatalyst as cathode material and bisphenol A containing KOH as electrolyte, a Zn‐air battery was assembled. When “charged” at 85 mA ⋅ cm −2 , it only requires 1.98 V. Peak power density of this Zn‐air battery reaches 120.5 mW ⋅ cm −2 . More importantly, in the “charge” process, bisphenol A is degraded, which achieves energy saving and pollutant removal simultaneously in one Zn‐air battery.