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All‐in‐One Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode Films for Flexible Zn‐Air Batteries
Author(s) -
Zeng Sha,
Tong Xiao,
Zhou Susheng,
Lv Bo,
Qiao Jian,
Song Yanhui,
Chen Minghai,
Di Jiangtao,
Li Qingwen
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201803409
Subject(s) - materials science , bifunctional , electrode , battery (electricity) , oxygen evolution , tafel equation , clark electrode , chemical engineering , current collector , gas diffusion electrode , nanotechnology , oxygen , overpotential , energy storage , catalysis , chemistry , electrochemistry , electrolyte , power (physics) , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering , biochemistry
As a promising energy‐storage device, rechargeable Zn‐air batteries have attracted considerable interests. Herein, a bifunctional oxygen electrode film prepared by adhering NiCo 2 O 4 nanosheets to a nitrogen and oxygen dual‐doped carbon nanotubes film in a large scale is reported. The resulting self‐supporting film electrode is multifunctional, which integrates a porous conducting structure for air diffusion and charge transfer, high‐performance catalysts for oxygen reduction and evolution, and novel structural flexibility. The composite film demonstrates excellent oxygen reduction/evolution reaction catalytic activities with low Tafel slopes (50 mV dec −1 for oxygen reduction reaction; 92 mV dec −1 for oxygen evolution reaction). Without any additional current collector, gas diffusion layer, or binder, the obtained bifunctional film performs as an “all‐in‐one” air electrode in a Zn‐air battery. A 50‐cm‐long cable‐shaped Zn‐air battery based on such a film air electrode exhibits high operating potentials (≈1.2 V at 0.25 mA cm −2 ), low charging–discharging overpotentials (≈0.7 V), and stable cycling performance. Moreover, the flexible cable Zn‐air batteries show excellent stability under different deformation conditions. The proposed concept of constructing scalable, all‐in‐one, freestanding, and flexible air electrodes would pave the way to develop next‐generation wearable and portable energy‐storage devices.