Mesoporous N-doped carbon with atomically dispersed Zn-Nx active sites as high-performance cathode in lithium-oxygen batteries

Electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction are the most critical components in many renewable and sustainable "green" energy storage and conversion technologies, such as metal-air batteries and proton exchange membrane fuel cells. In this study, mesoporous N-doped carbon with atomically dispersed Zn-N-x active sites available on its surface, suitable for application as a cathode material for lithium-oxygen (Li-O-2) batteries, is prepared via a MOF/biomass-based low-cost method. The porous structure and surface active sites of this material can be effectively tuned using a controlled pyrolysis process, to achieve high electrocatalytic performance. The obtained cathode shows a high initial capacity of 11.29 mAh cm(-2) at 0.1 A cm(-2) with good rate capability and cycling stability. An enhanced electrocatalytic performance of this novel material in Li-O-2 batteries can be attributed to numerous Zn-N-x active sites available on its surface and its mesoporous structure with very narrow pore size distribution. Battery performance experiments prove that mesoporous N-doped carbon with atomically dispersed Zn-N-x active sites is a promising cathode material for Li-O-2 batteries.