journal article·2025-04Open access

Constructing Pentagonal Topological Defects in Carbon Aerogels for Flexible Zinc‐Air Batteries

Yongfa Huang, Tingzhen Li, Runxin Huang, Kaimeng Xu, Zehong Chen, Chao Huang, Wu Yang, Youzhi Song, Zhongxin Chen, Ruidong Xia, Kasim Ocakoglu, Shimelis Admassie, Emmanuel Iwuoha, Linxin Zhong, Xinwen Peng

Small· Volume 21· Issue 16

Abstract

Abstract In the context of energy conversion, the design and synthesis of high‐performance metal‐free carbon electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial. Herein, a one‐step nitrogen doping/extraction strategy is proposed to fabricate 3D nitrogen‐doped carbon aerogels (NCA‐Cl) with rich pentagonal carbon topological defects. The NCA‐Cl electrocatalyst exhibits superb ORR activity, displaying a half‐wave potential of 0.89 V vs RHE and 0.74 V vs RHE under alkaline (0.1 m KOH) and acidic (0.1 m HClO4) media, respectively, thanks to the balanced *OOH intermediate adsorption and desorption induced by the pentagonal carbon topological defects and nitrogen dopants. The aqueous zinc‐air battery (ZAB) equipped with the NCA‐Cl cathode delivers a peak power density of 206.6 mW cm−2, a specific capacity of 810.6 mAh g−1, and a durability of 400 h, and the flexible ZAB also performed convincingly. This work provides an effective strategy for the formation of topological carbon defects for the enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity of carbon‐based catalysts.
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Research context

OpenAlex topics: Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion · Advanced battery technologies research · Supercapacitor Materials and Fabrication

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

School of Light Industry and Engineering South China University of Technology Guangzhou 510641 China

Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory of Wood Adhesives and Glued Products, International Joint Research Center for Biomass Materials Southwest Forestry University Kunming 650224 China

School of Science and Engineering The Chinese University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Guangdong 518172 China

State Key Laboratory of Organic Electronics and Information Displays & Institute of Advanced Materials (IAM) School of Materials Science and Engineering Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications Nanjing 210023 China

Department of Engineering Fundamental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering Tarsus University Tarsus 33400 Turkey

Department of Chemistry Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa PO BOX 1176 Ethiopia

SensorLab (UWC Sensor Laboratories) Department of Chemistry University of the Western Cape Bellville Cape Town 7535 South Africa

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China · National Natural Science Foundation of China · State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering · National Program for Support of Top-notch Young Professionals · China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

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