Electrochemically assisted polymerization synthesis of ZIF-derived Fe-N/C with high oxygen reduction reaction activity

Abstract

Abstract The zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8)-derived Fe-N/C catalysts show excellent oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) performance, but the harsh synthesis conditions and low yields have greatly limited their commercialization. Herein, we report an electrochemical-assisted polymerization method to produce a Fe-N/C structure (EC-Fe-N/C) with a high surface area (954.583 m2 g−1), high dispersion of Fe (2.2 wt %), and abundant N (2.05 wt %). The hierarchical structure exhibits excellent ORR activity (half-wave potential 0.88 V, in alkaline media) and outstanding zinc-air battery performance (energy density 821.3 mAh g−1 Zn, specific capacity 1017.1 Wh kg−1 Zn). This work may provide a simple and effective strategy to rationally design the Fe-N/C porous structure for highly efficient ORR activity.