Sulfur-modulated FeNi nanoalloys as bifunctional oxygen electrode for efficient rechargeable aqueous Zn-air batteries

Currently, FeNi nanoalloys have received considerable attention for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and evolution (OER) in rechargeable aqueous zinc (Zn)-air batteries (ZABs) because of their high content good chemical stability. However, poor electronic conductivity, small surface area, sluggish activity seriously hinder catalytic performance. Herein, S-modulated supported by hierarchically porous carbon (S-FeNi/PC) are synthesized through thermal treatment metal-organic precursors efficient bifunctional catalysis. S decoration endows S-FeNi/PC with a superior OER performance while maintaining an ORR that is comparable to Pt/C. Hence, exhibits excellent activity, outperforming noble-metal-based composite catalysts Pt/C RuO2. Notably, ZABs assembled exhibit specific capacity (792 mA h g−1), peak power density (123.5 mW cm−2), remarkable durability 700 charge/discharge cycles at 10 cm−2, which surpasses commercially available Pt/C-RuO2 other previously reported studies. This study will provide not only new electrodes ZAB devices but also insights into design FeNi-based materials wide range applications.