A stable structure zinc manganese oxide (ZnMn₂O₄) synthesized via a facile coprecipitation method as high performance air electrode catalyst for potassium-oxide batteries

Potassium-oxygen batteries as promising energy storage system have been widely concerned at present. In this paper, we obtain a zinc manganese oxide (ZnMn₂O₄) catalyst via a facile coprecipitation method. XRD and Raman tests show that ZnMn₂O₄ at the Zn and Mn molar ratio to 1:2 along with hot-heat treatment at 150 °C has a higher crystallinity and lower heterophase content. SEM observes that ZnMn₂O₄ material shows uniform spherical morphology with loose arrangement, which can be beneficial to mass transfer and discharge products storage. Electrochemical test results display that air electrode with ZnMn₂O₄ as catalyst has rapid electron and ion transfer speed and successfully carries out the charge and discharge process in the potassium-oxygen battery system.