ORR/OER activity and zinc-air battery performance of various kinds of graphene-based air catalysts

Abstract

The development of cheap and efficient oxygen reduction and evolution reaction catalysts are important, which not only push the electrochemical energy systems including water electrolyzers, metal-air batteries, and fuel cells nearer to their theoretical limits but also become the substitute for the expensive noble metal catalysts (Pt/C, IrO2 or RuO2 and Pt-Ru/C). In this review, the recently reported potential graphene-based air catalysts such as graphene with non-metals, non-noble metals, metal oxides, nitrides, sulfides, carbides, and other carbon composites are identified in-light-of-their high oxygen reduction reaction/oxygen evolution reaction activity and zinc-air battery performance for the development of high energy density metal-air batteries. Further, the recent progress on the zinc-air batteries including the strategies used to improve the high cycling-performance (stable even up-to 394 cycles), capacity (even up-to 873 mAh g−1), power density (even up-to 350 mW cm−2), and energy density (even up-to 904 W h kg−1) are reviewed. The scientific and engineering knowledge acquired on zinc-air batteries provide conceivable development for practical application in near future.