TY  - EJOU
AU  - Cui, Yuhao 
AU  - Dong, Fei 
AU  - Wu, Enhui 
AU  - Zhang, Zheng 
AU  - Shi, Shengfang 

TI  - Evaluation of Zinc-Air Battery Performance Using LaMn-Based Perovskite Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts
T2  - Energy Engineering

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1546-0118

AB  - Although manganese-based perovskites exhibit good electrocatalytic performance in ideal half-cells, they face challenges in practical zinc-air batteries (ZABs), such as polarization loss and structural degradation occurring in highly alkaline environments and after multiple cycles. A-site doping can enhance the initial intrinsic activity, but the addition of soluble alkaline earth metals severely damages lattice stability, indicating the need to balance catalytic ability and structural strength. In this study, we propose a novel approach that combines A-site stoichiometry control of La<sub>0.5</sub>MnO<sub>3−α</sub> with acid-etched surface modification to address these issues. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy explicitly confirmed the successful surface reconstruction and localized elemental variations. Experimental results from assembled liquid ZABs indicate that the conventional LaSrMnO<sub>3</sub> system, despite having a high initial peak power density of 107.5 mW cm<sup>−2</sup>, suffers a performance drop to 65.0 mW cm<sup>−2</sup> due to structural collapse after acid etching. Moreover, the pristine LaMnO<sub>3</sub> has a low power density of only 71.5 mW cm<sup>−2</sup>, while the optimally etched La<sub>0.5</sub>MnO<sub>3−α</sub>-3 shows a higher maximum power density of 117.3 mW cm<sup>−2</sup>. Moreover, the La<sub>0.5</sub>MnO<sub>3−α</sub>-3 catalyst exhibits excellent anti-polarization performance and can reversibly recover under a strong dynamic load of 100 mW cm<sup>−2</sup>. These favorable results are primarily attributed to the effective combination of a strong defective bulk phase and inherent charge compensation with the active reconstructed surface, providing a feasible and stable catalyst design for practical use in ZAB applications. Beyond ZABs, this intrinsic defect engineering and dynamic surface reconstruction synergistic paradigm opens a universal pathway for developing robust, non-precious metal electrocatalysts applicable to a broader range of advanced sustainable energy technologies, including alkaline fuel cells and water electrolyzers.
KW  - Zinc-air batteries; manganese-based perovskites; acid etching; surface reconstruction; battery testing

DO  - 10.32604/ee.2026.086224