Boosting Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis with 3D Graphene Aerogel‐Supported Ni/MnO Particles

Abstract Electrocatalysts for oxygen‐reduction and oxygen‐evolution reactions (ORR and OER) are crucial for metal–air batteries, where more costly Pt‐ and Ir/Ru‐based materials are the benchmark catalysts for ORR and OER, respectively. Herein, for the first time Ni is combined with MnO species, and a 3D porous graphene aerogel‐supported Ni/MnO (Ni–MnO/rGO aerogel) bifunctional catalyst is prepared via a facile and scalable hydrogel route. The synthetic strategy depends on the formation of a graphene oxide (GO) crosslinked poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel that allows for the efficient capture of highly active Ni/MnO particles after pyrolysis. Remarkably, the resulting Ni–MnO/rGO aerogels exhibit superior…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 21503111, 21376122, 21576139
• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province

  Award: 16KJB150020