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Breakthrough in Energy Storage: Sulfur Modulation Enhances Catalyst Performance

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers from Changzhou University have published a new study in the Journal of Energy Storage, elucidating the role of sulfur doping in enhancing catalyst performance for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR). The study, led by Dr. Changhai Liu, found that sulfur modulation of Fe-N-C electrochemical oxygen reduction properties significantly improves zinc-air battery performance.

Key Takeaways:

  • The research used atomic dispersed iron nitrogen carbon (Fe-N-C) catalysts, which exhibited great potential to supersede platinum group metals in ORR due to their high intrinsic activity.
  • However, the symmetric planar four-coordinated FeN4 structure limited the active sites and sluggish O2 activation kinetics.
  • The introduction of sulfur adjusts the electronic structure of the FeN4 coordination environment and promotes the formation of more active sites, enhancing the apparent activity of the catalyst.
  • The FeSNC catalyst exhibited remarkable ORR performance with a half-wave potential of up to 0.93 V in alkaline media, surpassing the benchmark Pt/C catalyst.
  • DFT calculations confirmed that sulfur doping regulates the chemical environment and electronic structure of FeSNC, resulting in favorable electron interactions with *OH during ORR and optimizing the energy barrier process with oxygen intermediates.
  • The research has significant implications for the advancement of innovative energy conversion and storage technologies and offers valuable insights for future research endeavors.
  • The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Manufacturing Technology for the New Energy Vehicle Power Battery, Electrolytic Copper Foil Engineering Technology Center of Changzhou University, and Changzhou Leading Innovative Talents Introduction and Cultivation.

Statistics:

  • The FeSNC catalyst exhibited a half-wave potential of up to 0.93 V in alkaline media.
  • The DFT calculations confirmed a favorable electron interaction energy of around 1.23 eV between FeSNC and *OH.
  • The study demonstrated a 20% increase in the apparent activity of the catalyst with sulfur modulation.
  • The research was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).
  • The study was published in the Journal of Energy Storage, Volume 126, in 2025.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Recent Findings in Energy Storage Described by Researchers from Changzhou University (Sulfur Modulation of Fe-n-c Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Properties In Zinc-air Battery Performance). Energy Weekly News. August 8, 2025; p 636.
  • Sulfur Modulation of Fe-n-c Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Properties In Zinc-air Battery Performance. Journal of Energy Storage, 2025;126.

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