Electrochemical activity of a La 0.9 Ca 0.1 Co 1 − x Fe x O 3 catalyst for a zinc air battery electrode

The optimum composition of cathode catalyst has been studied for rechargeable zinc air battery application. La0.9Ca0.1Co1-xFexO3(x = 0-0.4) perovskite powders were prepared using the citrate method. The substitution ratio of Co2+ with Fe3+ cations was controlled in the range of 0-0.4. The optimum substitution ratio of Fe3+ cations was determined by electrochemical measurement of the air cathode composed of the catalyst, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) binder, and Vulcan XC-72 carbon. The substitution by Fe enhanced the electrochemical performances of the catalysts. Considering oxygen reduction/evolution reactions and cyclability, we achieved optimum substitution level of x = 0.1 in La0.9Ca0.1Co1-xFexO3.