The preparation of Fe, N Co-doped ZIF-derived carbon nanosheet catalysts for oxygen reduction electrocatalyst in zinc-air batteries

A co-doping approach involving transition metals and heteroatoms was employed to successfully synthesize carbon nanosheet catalysts co-doped with iron (Fe) and nitrogen (N). Employing ferrous sulfate as the Fe source, ZIF-8 as the carbon substrate, 1,10-phenanthroline as the metal chelating agent and nitrogen source, Fe2+ can automatically adhere to the ZIF-8 N-doped carbon nanosheets under the chelation of 1,10-phenanthroline. After pyrolysis, Fe is successfully incorporated into the carbon matrix, the generation of numerous ORR active sites, FeNx, are formed, enhancing the ORR catalytic efficiency. In alkaline solutions, the synthesized Fe-NCF-2 catalyst exhibits excellent ORR electrocatalytic activity compared to commercial Pt/C (20 wt% Pt). The ZAB assembled with Fe-NCF-2 as the air cathode demonstrates outstanding performance. This provides an economically viable preparation strategy for exploring efficient catalysts for the ORR.