Jin Bolin, Bai Peiyao, Ru Qiang, Liu Weiqi, Wang Huifen, Xu Lang
MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, 1 Daxue Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China.
MOE Key Laboratory of Coal Processing and Efficient Utilization, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, 1 Daxue Road, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, China.
Ultrason Sonochem. 2021 Dec;81:105846. doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2021.105846. Epub 2021 Nov 24.
As a promising electrochemical energy device, a rechargeable zinc-air battery (RZAB) requires cost-effective cathode catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Some earth-abundant transition metal oxides have certain levels of bi-functional ORR/OER catalytic activities yet low electronic conductivities. The addition of high-electronic-conductivity material such as carbon black could result in another problem because there is low compatibility between metal oxide and carbon. In this work, polymer chains are ultrasonically prepared to act as binders to anchor metal-oxide active sites to porous domains of carbon black. The monomer N-isopropyl acrylamide is polymerized under ultrasonication instead of using conventional radical initiators which are dangerous and harmful. Reactive free radicals produced by ultrasonic irradiation can also help to form the Mn-Ni-Fe tri-metallic oxide. Thus, aided by the amide-type polymer as an adhesive, the tri-metallic oxide anchored on polymer-grafted carbon black prepared by ultrasonication possess a large number of metal-oxide active sites and hierarchical pores, contributing substantially to the enhanced ORR/OER electrocatalytic performance in the RZABs. Accordingly, this work provides interesting insight into the effective combination of inherently incompatible components for the fabrication of composite materials from an ultrasonic standpoint.
作为一种很有前景的电化学能源装置，可充电锌空气电池（RZAB）需要用于氧还原反应（ORR）和析氧反应（OER）的具有成本效益的阴极催化剂。一些储量丰富的过渡金属氧化物具有一定水平的双功能ORR/OER催化活性，但电子电导率较低。添加诸如炭黑等高电子电导率材料可能会导致另一个问题，因为金属氧化物与碳之间的相容性较差。在这项工作中，通过超声制备聚合物链作为粘合剂，将金属氧化物活性位点锚定到炭黑的多孔区域。单体N-异丙基丙烯酰胺在超声作用下聚合，而不是使用危险有害的传统自由基引发剂。超声辐照产生的活性自由基也有助于形成Mn-Ni-Fe三金属氧化物。因此，在酰胺型聚合物作为粘合剂的辅助下，通过超声制备的锚定在聚合物接枝炭黑上的三金属氧化物具有大量的金属氧化物活性位点和分级孔隙，极大地有助于提高RZABs中的ORR/OER电催化性能。因此，这项工作从超声角度为制备复合材料时本质不相容的组分的有效组合提供了有趣的见解。
