Mn, N, P-tridoped bamboo-like carbon nanotubes decorated with ultrafine CoP/FeCo nanoparticles as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for long-term rechargeable Zn-air battery.

Rational synthesis of cost-effectiveness, ultra-stable and high-efficiency bifunctional oxygen catalysts are pivotal for Zn-air batteries. Herein, fine CoP/FeCo nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on Mn, N, P-codoped bamboo-like carbon nanotubes (CoP/FeCo/MnNP-BCNTs) are constructed in the coexistence of melamine, poly(4-vinylpyridine) and adenosine-5'-diphosphate disodium salt (ADP) by convenient pyrolysis and follow-up acid treatment. The as-prepared catalyst exhibits the higher onset potential (E = 0.97 V vs. RHE) and half-wave potential (E = 0.88 V vs. RHE) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), coupled with excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with the lower overpotential of 324 mV at 10 mA cm. Notably, the home-made Zn-air battery delivers the greater peak power density of 220 mW cm, together with the outstanding cycling stability. The excellent performances of CoP/FeCo/MnNP-BCNTs catalyst are mainly attributed to the highly conductive carbon nanotubes and the synergistic effects between carbon nanotubes and CoP/FeCo NPs. This work offers a novel strategy to explore advanced bifunctional oxygen catalysts for high-efficiency metal-air batteries.