Recently, researchers at the Institute of Solid State Physics and Physics, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, replaced the high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) with Urea Oxidation Reaction (UOR). For the idea, a new type of energy-saving rechargeable zinc-air battery was designed and developed. At the same time, an enhanced electrocatalytic electrolysis of hydrogen production technology was developed based on this idea. This provides new ideas for the design of new energy-saving metal-air battery devices and the development and utilization of clean hydrogen energy. Related research results were published on Electrochimica Acta and Chemical Communications.
The design and development of new, high-efficiency and environmentally-friendly energy devices and technologies, such as metal zinc-air cells, fuel cells, and electrocatalytic decomposition of aquatic hydrogen, are among the important research contents for the development of advanced sustainable clean energy technologies. In order to realize the practicalization and commercialization of these new energy devices and technologies, researchers are committed to the development of various high-efficiency electrocatalyst materials, thereby increasing the performance of battery devices (such as fuel cells, zinc-air cells) or reducing the electrocatalytic decomposition of hydrogen from aquatic products. The voltage thus effectively improves the electrochemical energy storage and conversion efficiency. The design, development and utilization of non-precious metal electrocatalysts (transition metal-based catalysts, carbon-based catalysts, etc.) have achieved remarkable results, but their excessively high electrocatalytic OER overpotentials and their slow kinetic reaction processes have severely restricted The development of rechargeable air battery technology and hydrogen energy technology for electrolysis of water. The study found that compared to the constant pursuit of designing efficient OER electrocatalysts, the use of another more efficient and environmentally friendly oxidation reaction (such as urea oxidation reaction UOR) to replace inefficient oxygen evolution reactions is a new development idea.
In view of this, the researchers designed and prepared a multi-functional Mn-Ni(OH)2/CFC catalyst material, which was assembled into a rechargeable metal-zinc air battery. Through comparison, it was found that the zinc-air battery device implemented by UOR instead of OER can effectively reduce the charge voltage of zinc-air battery (about 0.3 V) during the charging process, thus saving energy consumption of 12-21%. The developed high-performance Ni2P/CFC catalyst was applied to the electrocatalytic decomposition of hydrogen from aquatic products. It was found that the voltage of two-electrode electrolyzed water (about 0.2V) was reduced by using UOR instead of OER; the use of human urine as electrolyte can achieve high-efficiency production of electrolyzed water. Hydrogen, the initial potential of the electrolysis of hydrogen produced in aquatic products is much lower than the currently reported high voltage OER-based electrolyzed water, requiring only 1.33V. The above research results provide new ideas for designing and developing highly efficient electrochemical-related energy devices and technologies, demonstrating practical application value.
The above research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the 100-person plan of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the international innovation team of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Figure 1. (1) Schematic diagram of a rechargeable zinc-blank cell and the charge-discharge performance curve of the new zinc-blank cell; (2) Schematic diagram of hydrogen production in an electrolyzed urea system and Ni2P/CFC electrode in "with urea" and "without urea" The linear scan curve under the two-electrode system.
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