Ultrahigh‐Efficiency Zinc‐Air Batteries Enabled by Defect‐Engineered Biomass Carbon and Dynamic Nickel Redox Mediation
Abstract
Abstract Coupled zinc‐air batteries (CZABs) are promising in future energy storage and conversion solutions because of their potential for enhanced energy efficiency and boosted power density. However, sluggish reaction kinetics at the cathode remain a key challenge, leading to cycling instability and insufficient battery performance. In this study, a rational interfacial etching method is developed to fabricate nitrogen‐doped and defect‐rich carbon catalysts from the low‐cost eucalyptus waste. The precise formation of carbon vacancies, driven by synergistic spatial confinement domains and oxygen‐containing functional groups exposed on eucalyptus precursors, promotes the reconstruction of pyridinic nitrogen (Py‐N) coordination. This induces local electron redistribution, enhancing charge transfer efficiency at adjacent Py‐N sites, and optimizing *O/*OH adsorption–desorption kinetics, thereby significantly boosting the electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction. Additionally, the integration of self‐adaptive Ni 2+ /Ni 3+ redox pair into the cathode effectively mitigates the oxygen evolution reaction and thus reduces voltage delay by 0.12 V. The resulting CZABs achieve 82% energy efficiency at 5 mA cm −2 and 77% after 400 h, which is rarely reported. This work elucidates the intricate mechanism of defect formation during biomass pyrolysis and presents a scalable, cost‐effective strategy for producing high‐efficiency catalysts, offering a promising strategy toward advanced energy storage systems.
Article Details
Authors (13)
Yongfa Huang
School of light Industry and Engineering State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking & Paper‐based Materials South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510641 China
Tingzhen Li
School of light Industry and Engineering State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking & Paper‐based Materials South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510641 China
Zhenzhen Wu
Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, School of Environment and Science
Wu Yang
State Key Laboratory of Systems Medicine for Cancer, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Zhendong Liu
School of Light Industry and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking & Paper-based Materials
Jianyun Gan
School of light Industry and Engineering State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking & Paper‐based Materials South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510641 China
Ren Zou
Emmanuel Iwuoha
Sensor Lab (UWC Sensor Laboratories) Department of Chemistry University of the Western Cape Bellville Cape Town 7535 South Africa
Usisipho Feleni
Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS) College of Science Engineering and Technology University of South Africa Private Bag X6, Florida Science Campus Johannesburg 1709 South Africa
Jianwei Ren
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Pretoria, cnr Lynnwood Road and Roper Street, Hatfield 0028, South Africa
Kasim Ocakoglu
Department of Engineering Fundamental Sciences Faculty of Engineering Tarsus University Tarsus 33400 Turkey
Linxin Zhong
School of Light Industry and Engineering State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking and Paper‐based Materials South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510641 China
Xinwen Peng
School of Light Industry and Engineering State Key Laboratory of Advanced Papermaking and Paper‐based Materials South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510641 China