New strategy enhances oxygen reduction in zinc-air batteries

Iron-based catalyst boosts zinc-air batteries without precious metals

Researchers at Tohoku University have developed an iron-based catalyst that improves the performance of zinc-air batteries, a technology viewed as a lower-cost alternative to lithium-ion systems for energy storage. The team focused on overcoming a key limitation of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in zinc-air batteries. While zinc-air batteries draw oxygen from the surrounding air instead of storing it internally, the ORR process is relativel…

New strategy enhances oxygen reduction in zinc-air batteries

Batteries are undergoing rapid advances. For example, modern zinc-air batteries have the remarkable ability to use oxygen as energy—but that oxygen isn't stored in the battery itself. Zinc-air batteries take in surrounding oxygen to undergo a reaction to discharge energy called the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). While this convenient strategy is promising, the slow speed of the ORR limits the practicality of these batteries.