Preparation and bifunctional properties of the A-site-deficient SrTi0.3Fe0.6Ni0.1O3-delta perovskite

The development of efficient, non-noble metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for their application in energy storage devices, such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries. In this study, SrTi0.3Fe0.6Ni0.1O3-delta (STFN) perovskite was synthesized using the sol-gel method, and its electrocatalytic activity was evaluated using a rotating disk electrode (RDE) in an alkaline medium. STFN synthesized at the optimum synthesis temperature of 800 degrees C exhibited good ORR and OER performances. To further improve electrocatalytic activity, a series of Sr1-xTi0.3Fe0.6Ni0.1O3-delta (x = 0, 0.05, and 0.1) perovskites with A-site vacancies were synthesized at 800 degrees C. Material characterization results showed that the removal of the A-site from the perovskite led to an increase in surface oxygen vacancies, resulting in higher ORR and OER activities. The results of this study indicate that Sr1-xTi0.3Fe0.6Ni0.1O3-delta (x = 0.1) is a promising bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst for Zn-air batteries.