Single-Atom and Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries and Fuel Cells
This community develops electrocatalysts that facilitate the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, primarily for use in rechargeable zinc-air batteries and fuel cells.
The research focuses on designing catalysts with high efficiency and durability for these electrochemical processes. Recurring materials include nitrogen-doped porous carbon, carbon nanotubes, and single-atom catalysts featuring atomically dispersed metals such as iron, cobalt, and nickel. A significant portion of the work involves creating bifunctional catalysts that can drive both oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution, which is essential for the rechargeability of air batteries. Specific chemical motifs like Fe-N-C sites, dual-atom configurations, and high-entropy materials are frequently investigated to optimize active site density and reaction kinetics.
The community is most heavily represented in research tracked for Oxygen, accounting for 1.8% of all Oxygen research, and Carbon, accounting for 0.8% of all Carbon research. It also holds a 1.3% share of Zinc research.
The community comprises 14,854 papers, with the highest publication volumes in Chemical Engineering Journal, Angewandte Chemie International Edition, and Journal of Materials Chemistry A.
Recent work continues to explore dual-atom engineering, high-entropy electrocatalytic materials, and site-specific synergy strategies to enhance oxygen reduction performance in zinc-air batteries and fuel cells.