Research community previously filed under “Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment”

Single-Atom and Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zinc-Air Batteries and Fuel Cells

Mostly in the field Electrocatalysis for Water Splitting, Energy Storage, and Conversion (59% of its papers), one of 5 communities there

Papers 14,854
Elements 1
Keywords & sectors 16
Leading venue Chemical Engineering Journal

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.

Recurring themes in the literature

Phrases that recur across this community's paper titles -- a quick map of its sub-topics, drawn straight from the titles themselves.

  • oxygen reduction 4646
  • reduction reaction 2560
  • air batteries 1734
  • zinc air 1325
  • zinc-air batteries 887
  • efficient oxygen 859
  • hydrogen peroxide 855
  • single atom 776
  • bifunctional oxygen 682
  • porous carbon 600
  • zn-air batteries 543
  • oxygen evolution 527
  • oxygen electrocatalysis 484
  • air battery 461
  • n-doped carbon 446
  • single-atom catalysts 444
  • highly efficient 428
  • carbon nanotubes 404
  • atomically dispersed 402
  • rechargeable zinc 399
  • evolution reaction 388
  • rechargeable zinc-air 379
  • enhanced oxygen 372
  • zinc-air battery 365

Papers behind this description

Most cited
Advanced Materials · 2024 · 388 citations
Chemical Reviews · 2023 · 687 citations
Nature Synthesis · 2024 · 340 citations
Chemical Reviews · 2024 · 317 citations
Nature Catalysis · 2023 · 428 citations
Newest
The Chemical Record · 2025 · 130 citations
Journal of Energy Storage · 2026 · 46 citations
Coordination Chemistry Reviews · 2025 · 46 citations
Nature Communications · 2025 · 45 citations
Metals Advances · 2026 · 41 citations

A sample from the 18 papers behind this description. Create a free account to see them all.