Cation‐Tuning Induced d‐Band Center Modulation on Co‐Based Spinel Oxide for Oxygen Reduction/Evolution Reaction

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 61; no. 16; pp. e202114696 - n/a
• Main Authors: Wang, Zepan, Huang, Jiahui, Wang, Ling, Liu, Yangyang, Liu, Wenhui, Zhao, Shenlong, Liu, Zhao‐Qing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 11-04-2022
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Carbon dioxide; Charging; Cobalt; Copper; Crystal structure; Density functional theory; Durability; Electronic structure; Evolution; Manganese; Metal air batteries; Modulation; Optimization; Oxides; Oxygen; Oxygen Evolution Reaction; Oxygen Reduction Reaction; Rechargeable batteries; Reduction; Specific capacity; Spinel; Spinel Oxide; Substitution reactions; Zinc; Zinc-oxygen batteries; Zn–Air Battery; Oxygen Reduction Reaction; Spinel Oxide; Oxygen Evolution Reaction; Zn-Air Battery
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202114696

Atomic substitutions at the tetrahedral site (ATd) could theoretically achieve an efficient optimization of the charge at the octahedral site (BOh) through the ATd‐O‐BOh interactions in the spinel oxides (AB2O4). Despite substantial progress having been made, the precise control and adjustment of the spinel oxides are still challenging owing to the complexity of their crystal structure. In this work, we demonstrate a simple solvent method to tailor the structures of spinel oxides and use the spinel oxide composites (ACo2O4/NCNTs, A=Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) for oxygen electrocatalysis. The optimized MnCo2O4/NCNTs exhibit high activity and excellent durability for oxygen reduction/evolution reactions. Remarkably, the rechargeable liquid Zn–air battery equipped with a MnCo2O4/NCNTs cathode affords a specific capacity of 827 mAh gZn−1 with a high power density of 74.63 mW cm−2 and no voltage degradation after 300 cycles at a high charging–discharging rate (5 mA cm−2). The density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the substitution could regulate the ratio of Co3+/Co2+ and thereby lead to the modulation of the electronic structure accompanied with the movement of the d‐band center. The tetrahedral and octahedral sites interact through the Mn−O−Co, and the Co3+Oh of MnCo2O4 with the optimal charge structure allows a more suitable binding interaction between the active center and the oxygenated species, resulting in superior oxygen electrocatalytic performance.
A series of Co‐based spinel oxides coupled with N‐doped carbon nanotubes were synthesized as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction. The cation‐tuning induced ATd‐O‐BOh corner‐sharing effect enables the modulation and optimization of the electronic structure of Co‐based spinel oxides, resulting in the superior electrocatalytic activity.