N‐doped Nanocarbon Inserted NiCo‐LDH Nanoplates on NF with High OER/ORR Performances for Zinc‐Air Battery.

Herein, a high performance bifunctional catalyst was prepared by inserting N‐doped nanomaterials into Ni−Co layered dihydroxides (NiCo‐LDH) nanoplates for high performance zinc‐air battery. By using self‐assembly of perylenetetracarboxylic dianhydride and dicyandiamide in the hydrothermal condition, a nitrogen‐containing super thin carbonaceous nanosheet is achieved after calcination. Then NCM inserted NiCo‐LDH nanoplates attached to nickel foam (NiCo‐LDH/NCM@NF) are synthesized by in‐situ production of NiCo‐LDH species on NCM wrapped NF. The specific NCM improves the conductivity, electroactive surface area and the ORR/OER bifunctional activity of NiCo‐LDH nanoplates. In addition, benefited from the formed rich oxygen vacancies, NiCo‐LDH/NCM@NF delivers the low OER overpotential (352 mV at 50 mA cm−2) and boosted ORR performance with a half‐wave potential of 0.765 V vs RHE. As the air cathode, the fabricated ZAB devices show a satisfactory capacity of 685 mAh g−1 and the energy density of 158 mW cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]