Recently, Li Xu’s group published the latest research work titled “Interface Engineering of Anti-Perovskite Ni3FeN/VN Heterostructure for High-Performance Rechargeable Zinc–Air batteries” (Chem. Eng. J. 2022, 437, 135291, DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.135291) online in Chemical Engineering Journal (Top journal of engineering technology, IF: 13.273). Jiangsu University is the first completed department of this paper, Associate professor Li Xu is the first author, Associate professor Jianchun Wu and Professor Henan Li are the corresponding authors.
High-performance rechargeable zinc–air battery is highly relying on the efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts. the anti-perovskite Ni3FeN/VN heterojunction nanoparticles encapsulated in nitrogen–doped graphene nanosheets were synthesized via the combination of vacuum rapid calcination and thermal ammonolysis. DFT calculations proved that the heterojunction composed of Ni3FeN and VN can facilitate the charge transfer between the two components and generate abundant catalytic active sites at the heterogeneous interface. Benefiting from the excellent catalytic activity of Ni3FeN/VN and the strong interaction between the nanoparticles and the nitrogen–doped graphene substrate, Ni3FeN/VN–NG exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity with a ΔE value of 0.69 V. The Ni3FeN/VN–NG-based showed cycle stability of more than 200 h under practical operating conditions and a power density of up to 168 mW cm−2. This work provides reliable evidence for the construction of heterostructure strain–regulated electronic structure and intrinsic activity of transition metal nitrides and offering significative ideas for the rational design of efficient electrocatalysts for zinc–air battery.
The research work is financed by National Natural Science Foundation of China; the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province; Six Talent Peaks Project in Jiangsu Province; Senior Talent Foundation of Jiangsu University; High-tech research key laboratory of Zhenjiang; a Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions.
