Emerging high-entropy materials as electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc–air batteries

Abstract

The need for electrocatalysts that possess multiple surface sites to facilitate *O, *OH and *OOH intermediates in the complex reactions steps of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has led to the emergence of the high-entropy materials (HEMs) as promising bifunctional electrocatalysts for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (RZABs). This mini-review presents inherent physico-chemical properties of HEMs that have endowed great interest as electrocatalysts for RZABs. Although the HEMs exhibit excellent electrocatalysis, to date, none of them (just like the conventional catalysts) has achieved the nominal voltage of 1.66 V for RZAB. Thus, in our opinion, effort should be devoted to the design engineering and fabrication to mitigate this key disadvantage.