Composite of Double Transition Metals (Fe, Ni) and N-Doped Carbon Nanotubes as Cathode Catalysts for Zinc–Air Batteries

This paper reports the low-cost fabrication of high-performance double transition metals (Fe, Ni) and N-doped carbon nanotubes (FexNiy-N-CNT) to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in zinc–air batteries (ZABs). The target active sites and appropriate carbon substrates of the designed catalysts facilitated charge transfer kinetics. The carbon nanotube (CNT)-based catalysts underwent electrochemical testing using the rotating ring–disk electrode method, and the results revealed that the Fe2Ni1-N-CNT catalyst exhibited both an exceptional ORR performance (E1/2 = 0.86 V) and excellent stability. Furthermore, the ZABs with the Fe2Ni1-N-CNT catalyst exhibited a high power density (169.5 mW cm–2) and an open-circuit voltage (1.46 V). These findings can provide insights into the development of efficient and sustainable CNT-based cathode catalysts for ZABs.