Recent Advances toward the Rational Design of Efficient Bifunctional Air Electrodes for Rechargeable Zn–Air Batteries

• Published in: Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Vol. 14; no. 32; pp. e1703843 - n/a
• Main Authors: Meng, Fan‐Lu, Liu, Kai‐Hua, Zhang, Yan, Shi, Miao‐Miao, Zhang, Xin‐Bo, Yan, Jun‐Min, Jiang, Qing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.08.2018
• Subjects: air electrodes; bifunctional; Chemical reactions; Design optimization; Electric vehicles; electrocatalysts; Electrodes; Energy storage; Flux density; Metal air batteries; Nanotechnology; Organic chemistry; Rechargeable batteries; rechargeable Zn–air batteries; Storage batteries; Zinc; Zinc-oxygen batteries; rechargeable Zn-air batteries; air electrodes; bifunctional; electrocatalysts
• ISSN: 1613-6810; 1613-6829; 1613-6829
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.201703843

Large‐scale application of renewable energy and rapid development of electric vehicles have brought unprecedented demand for advanced energy‐storage/conversion technologies and equipment. Rechargeable zinc (Zn)–air batteries represent one of the most promising candidates because of their high energy density, safety, environmental friendliness, and low cost. The air electrode plays a key role in managing the many complex physical and chemical processes occurring on it to achieve high performance of Zn–air batteries. Herein, recent advances of air electrodes from bifunctional catalysts to architectures are summarized, and their advantages and disadvantages are discussed to underline the importance of progress in the evolution of bifunctional air electrodes. Finally, some challenges and the direction of future research are provided for the optimized design of bifunctional air electrodes to achieve high performance of rechargeable Zn–air batteries. The air electrode plays a key role in managing a lot of complex physical and chemical processes occurring on it to achieve high performance of rechargeable Zn–air batteries. This original review briefly summarizes some recent advances of air electrodes from oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction bifunctional electrocatalysts to architectures and points out challenges and future research orientation for its optimized design.