Chemist Wolfgang Schöfberger explains that on account of its high energy density, "metal-air batteries" are promising. However, as they are “sluggish” in their oxygen response when charging and discharging, he has developed a new catalyst designed for the "air electrode." The study was published in the scientific journal "Angewandte Chemie".

Schöfberger conducts research at the JKU’s Institute of Organic Chemistry and explained that metal-air batteries store electrical energy by means of chemical reactions, for example, at a zinc electrode and the outside environment, which is later released. When discharging, there is an "oxygen reduction reaction" (ORR); when charging, there is an "oxygen evolution reaction" (OER). The researcher added: "As part of the study, we introduced a new catalyst to coat the electrodes. It's bifunctional, so it supports both reducing and generating oxygen."

The catalyst is composed of cobalt and ring-shaped carbon-nitrogen compounds. Zinc is one of the most common elements in the earth's crust and can be used as the metal electrode, Schöfberger says. This means that metal-air batteries do not require expensive precious metals, such as platinum, ruthenium or iridium.

The catalyst coating produces nearly 100% selective activity during the oxygen-reduction reaction, the researcher noted. The oxygen generating reaction, in turn, takes place with it and is 98% efficiency. Schöfberger believes these results are "promising."