Co-doped Catalyst Research Articles

Highly-efficient hydrogen production from ammonia decomposition over Co-doped graphdiyne under moderate temperature

Manufacturing hydrogen from ammonia decomposition is an efficient and promising approach for hydrogen utilization. However, its scalable application is significantly impeded by the requirements of precious metal ruthenium (Ru) as catalysts. Herein, we report a type of Co-doped graphdiyne catalyst for catalytically decomposing ammonia (NH3) to generate H2. The metal-doped graphdiyne catalysts were synthesized facilely using co-precipitation approach. The resultant composite catalysts significantly enhanced the reactivity and stability of ammonia decomposition. The Co-doped graphdiyne catalyst achieved nearly complete decomposition of ammonia at 550 ℃, and the conversion rate remained stable over 18 h of continuous reaction. The adsorption and decomposition of ammonia by Co-doped graphdiyne was studied by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Nitrogen binding strength was used as a descriptor to elucidate the catalyst's activity and reaction kinetics, further supported by the reaction energy barrier. Our study highlights the tremendous potential of metal-doped graphdiyne catalysts for facile hydrogen production via NH3 decomposition, enabling safe and scalable hydrogen utilization.

Controllable synthesis of M (M = Cr, Mo and W) and Fe co-doped Co2P catalysts for efficient urea electrolysis

Hydrogen production by urea electrolysis is a green, energy conservation and environment protection method. Compared with traditional water electrolysis for hydrogen production, it not only saves costs and energy consumption, but also can treat urea wastewater to purify the environment. In this paper, the sea urchin-like nanoneedles (M (M = Cr, Mo and W)–FeCo2P/NF) arrays with different doping elements M (M = Cr, Mo and W) were prepared by hydrothermal method and moderate temperature phosphating method. It is proved that the doping of different elements in the same group cooperates to adjust the electronic structure of Co2P, thereby increasing the electrochemical active area and improving the active site. What is noteworthy is that Mo–FeCo2P/NF material only needs potential of 1.305 V and overpotential of 232 mV to drive 50 mA cm−2 for urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The Mo–FeCo2P/NF (±) electrolyser can drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2 at a potential of 1.471 V, and is stable for at least 12 h in urea electrolysis. The density functional theory (DFT) demonstrates that Mo–FeCo2P/NF electrode has a moderate Gibbs free energy (GH∗) of H adsorption. This work put forward a new strategy for improving the activity and stability of transition metal phosphides by doping strategy for urea electrolysis.

Multi-level Porous Fe, Co, N, S Co-doped Three-Dimensional Graphene-like Catalyst as the Excellent Trifunctional Electrocatalyst for Liquid and Flexible All-Solid-State Zinc–Air Batteries

Multi-level Porous Fe, Co, N, S Co-doped Three-Dimensional Graphene-like Catalyst as the Excellent Trifunctional Electrocatalyst for Liquid and Flexible All-Solid-State Zinc–Air Batteries

Dual-Defect Engineering of Bidirectional Catalyst for High-Performing Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Practical applications of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have been hindered by sluggish reaction kinetics and severe capacity decay during charge-discharge cycling due to the notorious shuttle effect of polysulfide and the unfavored deposition and dissolution of Li2 S. Herein, to address these issues, a double-defect engineering strategy is developed for preparing Co-doped FeP catalyst containing P vacancies on MXene, which effectively improves the bidirectional redox of Li2 S. Mechanism analysis indicates that P vacancy accelerates Li2 S nucleation via increased unsaturated sites, and Co doping generates local electric field to reduce the reaction energy barrier and accelerate Li2 S dissolution. MXene provides highly conductive channels for electron transport, and effectively captures polysulfide. The double-defect catalyst enables an impressive reversible specific capacity of 1297.9 mAh g-1 at 0.2 C, and excellent rate capability of 726.5mAhg-1 at 4C. Remarkably, it demonstrates excellent cycling stability with capacity retention of 533.3mAhg-1 after 500 cycles at 2C. The results can unlock the double-defect engineering of vacancy induction and heteroatomic doping towards practical Li-S batteries.

Boosting the performance of Co-doped CeO2 catalyst in the catalytic oxidation of toluene by modulating oxygen vacancies

Metal doping is one of the most effective strategies to enhance redox capacity and modulate the oxygen vacancies in Ce-based catalysts. This manuscript reports a Co-doped CeO2 catalyst (Co0.2Ce0.8 (W/E = 1/1)) for the catalytic oxidation of toluene fabricated by a facile co-precipitation method. The appropriate ratio of deionized (DI) water/ethanol in the reaction solvent contributed to the mesocrystallization of the CeO2 phase and the highly uniform dispersion of the Co-O-Ce mixed bond in the catalyst. The feasible lattice distortion induced the generation of richer oxygen vacancies in both the surface and bulk of the catalyst. Meanwhile, the efficient cycle of Co2+ + Ce4+ ↔ Co3+ + Ce3+ enhanced the redox property of the catalyst. As revealed by in situ DRIFTS studies, the as-formed surface oxygen vacancies promoted the adsorption and partial oxidation of toluene. The oxygen vacancies in the bulk of the catalyst improved the migration of lattice oxygen, accelerating the mineralization of the aromatic ring. Thus, the excellent low-temperature oxidation of toluene by Co0.2Ce0.8 (W/E = 1/1), reducing T90 to 192 °C, was attributed to the synergism between the catalyst’s surface and bulk oxygen vacancies.

High-performance precious metal-free direct ammonia fuel cells endowed by Co-doped Ni4Cu1 anode catalysts

Anion exchange membrane-based direct ammonia fuel cells (AEM-DAFCs) have attracted increasing attention due to the advantages of ammonia. However, the high Pt loading in the anode substantially hampers the practical implementation of AEM-DAFCs. Herein, the Ni4Cu1Cox (x = 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0)-BP catalysts were prepared for the first time, achieving the best ammonia oxidation reaction (AOR) performance at x = 1.5. Density functional theory calculations reveal that such improvement is ascribed to the lowered adsorption energy and the Gibbs free energy of AOR intermediates as Co doping introduces electron aggregation around O atoms. The AEM-DAFC based on Ni4Cu1Co1.5-BP anode can deliver a peak power density (PPD) of 115.7 mW cm−2 and an open circuit voltage of 0.75 V at 80 °C. According to our knowledge, such PPD is the highest among precious metal-free electrodes-based AEM-DAFCs, showing that the Ni4Cu1Co1.5-BP is a promising candidate for anode catalyst in AEM-DAFCs.

A Unique Etching-Doping Route to Fe/Mo Co-Doped Ni Oxyhydroxide Catalyst for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Fe-doped Ni (oxy)hydroxide shows intriguing activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solution, yet it remains challenging to further boost its performance. In this work, a ferric/molybdate (Fe3+ /MoO4 2- ) co-doping strategy is reported to promote the OER activity of Ni oxyhydroxide. The reinforced Fe/Mo-doped Ni oxyhydroxide catalyst supported by nickel foam (p-NiFeMo/NF) is synthesized via a unique oxygen plasma etching-electrochemical doping route, in which precursor Ni(OH)2 nanosheets are first etched by oxygen plasma to form defect-rich amorphous nanosheets, followed by electrochemical cycling to trigger simultaneously Fe3+ /MoO4 2- co-doping and phase transition. This p-NiFeMo/NF catalyst requires an overpotential of only 274mV to reach 100mA cm-2 in alkaline media, exhibiting significantly enhanced OER activity compared to NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalyst and other analogs. Its activity does not fade even after 72h uninterrupted operation. In situ Raman analysis reveals that the intercalation of MoO4 2- is able to prevent the over-oxidation of NiOOH matrix from β to γ phase, thus keeping the Fe-doped NiOOH at the most active state.

Hydrothermal-assisted synthesis of Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles catalyst for sodium borohydride dehydrogenation and photodegradation of organic pollutants in water

In recent years, studies on dye removal and hydrogen energy have gained momentum. However, these studies are still not in the desired position. Existing biological and physical methods for dye removal are quite inadequate. In hydrogen production, the efficiency is very low when a catalyst is not used. It is important to obtain inexpensive catalysts for both purposes. For this purpose, Cobalt doped Zinc oxide nanoparticles (Co-doped ZnO NPs) were synthesized using a one-pot flash combustion approach. The photocatalytic activity and hydrolysis process of the produced catalyst on NaBH4 were evaluated. The photocatalytic activity of Co-doped ZnO NPs was investigated for decolorization against certain dyes under sunlight irradiation. Co-doped ZnO NPs were analyzed for hydrogen production from NaBH4 hydrolysis. It has been determined that the nanomaterial has a superior catalytic activity with Turnover frequency (TOF) of 1682.3 min−1, 32.45 kJ/mol enthalpy (∆E),-158.4 J/mol.K entropy (∆S), and 34.94 kJ/mol activation energy (EA) obtained as a result of the hydrolysis reaction of Co-doped ZnO NPs. Their reusability was found to be 72.5% at the 4th cycle. The photocatalytic activity of the Co-doped ZnO NPs was found 81.22% (120 min) and 86.98% (90 min) against RhB and MB dyes, respectively. According to the results obtained, it has been seen that Co-doped ZnO NPs are reusable catalysts with high catalytic activity for hydrogen production as a clean energy source. At the same time, it was emphasized that a photocatalyst with high catalytic activity was obtained for wastewater treatment.

Biochar-derived flower-like Co-Mo2C spheres/g-C3N4 photocatalyst: Engineering morphology configuration and electronic structure tuning

As a class of highly recalcitrant water contaminants, pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) have raised considerable concerns. Here, we develop a biochar-derived flower-like Co-Mo2C sphere/g-C3N4 (CMCN) heterostructure photocatalyst for typical PPCPs degradation. The flower-like Co-Mo2C nanostructure is derived from biochar, an inexpensive and ubiquitous plant byproduct. The open-up nanoflake structure with sharp edges can induce the fast charge collection and separation. DFT calculations and experimental characterizations are conducted to fundamentally understand the enhanced intrinsic photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared CMCN photocatalysts, especially the role of Co atoms. The delocalized charge density of CMCN could be rational tailored via the increasing density of state and the difference in work functions between g-C3N4 and Co-Mo2C. The electron density of Mo 3d in CMCN is increased through integrating it with Co atoms, which possess numerous delocalized electrons. Compared with the Mo2C/g-C3N4 (MCN) bulk, the CMCN catalyst displays superior photocatalytic activity for the typical PPCPs degradation, mainly arising from the multifaceted open-up surfaces of Co-Mo2C nanoflower, the higher density of electron and more efficient charge transfer ability, as well as the prolonged life time of photogenerated charge carriers. This work provides a cheap and mild route for synthesizing Co-doped Mo2C nanoflower catalyst and expands the scope of constructing high active g-C3N4 based heterostructure.

Theoretically Predicted CO Adsorption and Activation on the Co-Doped hcp-Fe7C3 Catalyst

The Hcp-Fe7C3 phase has attracted more attention due to the high catalytic activity in Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reactions. In this work, the adsorption and activation of CO on a Co-doped hcp-Fe7C3 catalyst were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) in order to understand the effect of Co doping on the initial step of FTS reactions on iron-based catalysts. Different Co-doped hcp-Fe7C3 001 and 11¯0 surfaces were constructed, and the CO adsorption configurations were studied. The calculated results show that the structure of the 001 surface remains basically unchanged after doping with Co atoms, while the replacement of Fe or C atoms on 11¯0 surfaces with Co atoms has a significant impact on the surface structure. The top sites on the doped Co atoms of hcp-Fe7C3 are disadvantages for the CO adsorption, whereas the T, 2F, or 3F sites around the doped Co atoms are beneficial for promoting the adsorption of CO. The CO direct dissociation pathways on the four types of Co-doped hcp-Fe7C3 001 surfaces are exothermic, while the H-assisted dissociation pathways of CO are endothermic. The H-assisted activation via HCO on the 3F1 site of the 2Co2-doped hcp-Fe7C3 001 surface shows the lowest energy barrier of 1.96 eV. For the Co-doped hcp-Fe7C3 11¯0 surfaces, the H-assisted activation via HCO is the preferred activation pathway for CO on the Co-doped surfaces with the energy barrier of approximately 1.30 eV.

Preparation and characterization of a novel cobalt-substitution cadmium aluminate spinel for the photodegradation of azo dye pollutants

Modern-year organic contaminants have been highly observed in ecosystems since they are not removed entirely and remain dangerous. Semiconductor binary oxide photocatalysts have been well accredited as capable technology for ecological contaminants degradation in the existence of visible irradiation. In this research, novel Co ions doped CdAl2O4 materials were fabricated by a facile co-precipitation approach. The fabricated pure and Co-doped CdAl2O4 exhibited the typical peaks of CdAl2O4 with the Eg of 3.66, 3.24, 2.57, and 2.41 eV respectively. The HR-TEM microstructures revealed that the Co (0.075 M) doped CdAl2O4 has rod-like morphology, and some places are spherical with particle sizes reaching 21 nm. The PL peaks of the Co (0.075 M)-CdAl2O4 are much lesser than that of the other dopant and pure CdAl2O4, representing much more effectual separation of generated e− and h+ at the interface which in fact outcomes in superior expected photodegradation behaviours. The Co (0.075 M)-CdAl2O4 catalyst demonstrated the highest performances of 92 and 94% toward the degradation of both dyes, respectively, owing to the lowest e− and h+ recombination rate. The Co (0.075 M) doped CdAl2O4 photocatalyst revealed outstanding reusability and stability under visible irradiation, retaining the performance of about 83 and 86% after the fifth consecutive run of BB and BG elimination. A probable photodegradation mechanism of Co (0.075 M) doped CdAl2O4 was suggested since the photoexcited h+, OH− and O2− species contributed to the removal process, and that was affirmed by the scavenging test and ESR analysis. This research offers new ways to improve the photodegradation performance of the Co-doped CdAl2O4 catalyst that will be employed in pharmaceutical applications and wastewater treatment.

Reactivity of Lattice Oxygen in Ti-Site-Substituted SrTiO3 Perovskite Catalysts

An environmental catalyst in which a transition metal (Mn, Fe, or Co) was substituted into the Ti site of the host material, SrTiO3, was synthesized, and the reactivity of lattice oxygen was evaluated. For CO oxidation, Mn- and Co-doped SrTiO3 catalysts, which provided high thermal stabilities, exhibited higher activities than Pt/Al2O3 catalysts despite their low surface areas. Temperature-programmed reduction experiments using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements showed that the lattice oxygen of Co-doped catalyst was released at the lowest temperature. Isotopic experiments with CO and 18O2 revealed that the lattice oxygen was involved in CO oxidation on Fe- and Co-doped catalysts; that is, CO oxidation on these catalysts proceeded via the Mars-van Krevelen mechanism. On the other hand, for Mn-doped catalyst, the contribution of lattice oxygen to CO oxidation was relatively negligible, indicating that the reaction proceeded according to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism. This paper clearly demonstrates that the catalytic mechanism can be adjusted by substituting transition metals into SrTiO3.

Insight into the micro-mechanism of Co doping to improve the deNOx performance and H2O resistance of β-MnO2 catalysts

Mn-based catalysts are desirable for selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NO by NH3 due to their good catalytic activity and environmentally friendliness. However, the deNOx performance of single component MnO2 catalyst fails to meet the requirement and it has poor tolerance to H2O. Co doping can improve the activity and the H2O resistance of the catalysts, but the reaction mechanism remains unclear. Here, the effect of Co doping on the deNOx activity of Mn-based catalysts and the reaction mechanism of gas molecules over the β-MnO2 (110) surface were revealed by combining experimental measurements and DFT simulations. Results show that the optimal proportion of Co can increase the deNOx efficiency of MnO2 catalysts. Doping Co enhances the adsorption and dehydrogenation of NH3 on the β-MnO2 catalyst surface. NH2 can combine with NO to form NH2NO. Co doping promotes the breakdown of NH2NO, and the Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism dominates this reaction. Furthermore, Co-doped β-MnO2 catalysts can reduce the competitive adsorption of H2O, which alleviates the poisoning effect of the catalyst.

Expediting Toluene Combustion by Harmonizing the Ce-O Strength over Co-Doped CeZr Oxide Catalysts.

Low-temperature catalytic degradation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by enhancing the activity of non-precious metal catalysts has always been the focus of attention. The mineralization of aromatic VOCs requires the participation of a large number of oxygen atoms, so the activation of oxygen species is crucial in the degradation reaction. Herein, we originally adjust the Ce-O bond strength in CeZr oxide catalysts by cobalt doping to promote the activation of oxygen species, thus improving the toluene degradation performance while maintaining high stability. Subsequent characterizations and theoretical calculations demonstrate that the weakening of the Ce-O bond strength increases the oxygen vacancy content, promotes the activation of oxygen species, and enhances the redox ability of the catalysts. This strategy also promotes the activation of toluene and accelerates the depletion of intermediate species. This study will contribute a strategy to enhance the activation ability of oxygen species in non-noble metal oxide catalysts, thereby enhancing the degradation performance of VOCs.

Selective Production of Gasoline Fuel Blendstock from Methanol using a Metal-doped HZSM-5 Zeolite Catalyst

The increasing demand for substitutes for petroleum has become a global concern due to the looming petroleum crisis and the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. This study seeks a viable approach for converting methanol into petrochemicals and fuel-range hydrocarbons. A ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst was synthesised and modified with 0.5 wt% transition metals (Co and Ni) to improve selectivity towards the desired liquid product (gasoline) in the methanol-to-hydrocarbon (MTH) conversion. The synthesised catalyst was characterised using various techniques. The catalysts were further evaluated for methanol conversion into fuels and petrochemicals (BTX) under varying weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) (7 and 12 h-1) at 350 oC. Results showed that the synthesised catalyst exhibited characteristic features of a typical MFI framework of a zeolite catalyst. The catalyst evaluation results revealed that changes in operating conditions affected product distribution. A WHSV of 12 h-¹ favoured the production of gasoline range hydrocarbons (C5-C12) with a yield of over 80 % for all catalysts. In addition, C12+ hydrocarbons were produced with a selectivity of 12.6 %, 0.7 % and 7.5 % for Ni-doped, Co-doped and HZSM-5 catalysts, respectively. In particular, the Co-doped catalyst showed a 7.1 % higher BTX yield under these specific operating conditions (12 h-1 and 350 oC). Compared to 7 h-1, increasing the WHSV to 12 h-1 favoured the production of liquid hydrocarbons. Incorporating a small amount of transition metal into the parent catalyst improved the selectivity of the target products and overall liquid hydrocarbon yield. The results concluded that the synthesised catalyst is promising for the MTH process, and catalytic performance can be enhanced by metal modification and optimising reaction conditions to improve biofuel production.

Selective degradation in Fenton-like reaction catalyzed by Na and Fe Co-doped g-C3N4 catalyst

It is urgently desired to selectively degrade the target pollutant with high efficiency for the treatment of water pollution. However, the application of weak redox species for increasing selectivity always decreases the efficiency of the degradation. Hydroxyl radical (·OH) in the Fenton reaction exhibits high oxidized ability and no selective degradation for the target products. In the present study, 2D-shaped Na and Fe co-doped g-C3N4 were synthesized as the catalyst for the Fenton-like reaction, which showed catalytic activity for selective degradation of organic pollutants. These pollutants weer selected as methyl orange (MO), cresol red (CR), acid fuchsin (AF), ciprofloxacin (CIP), rhodamine B (RhB), tetracycline (TC), malachite green (MG), methylene blue (MB), and neutral red (NR). The degradations of the cationic dyes (MB, MG, and RhB) within 10 min were 97 %, 93 %, 92 %, 90 %, and 86 % in mixed pollutants as MB/MO, MB/AF, MB/CR, MG/CR, and RhB/CR, 91 % and 83 % in MB/CR/AF and MG/AF/CR, respectively. And the degradation rate reached 100 % by extending the time to 20 min. Simultaneously, the degradation of the anionic dye was smaller than 10 % in these mixed systems. The catalytic mechanism was proposed, in which the Fe ion was the active center for the reaction. This investigation may be useful to design the catalyst to selectively degrade the pollutant through the Fenton reaction.

Comparison of Co-Mo-S and remote control model for designing efficient Co-doped MoS2 hydrodeoxygenation catalysts

Co-promoted MoS2 catalysts as good candidates can effectively remove the oxygen in bio-oil through the hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) of phenolics. However, it is of great importance to maximize the synergistic effect between Co and MoS2 which is conductive to the design of highly efficient Co-doped MoS2 HDO catalysts. Herein, two model catalysts with Co-Mo-S and CoS2/MoS2 (remote control model) as the active phases were successfully constructed and evaluated in the HDO of p-cresol. It was found that Co-Mo-S catalyst showed a significantly higher intrinsic HDO activity than CoS2/MoS2 catalyst, and the synergy factor between Co dopant and MoS2 of Co-Mo-S was 3.1 times that of CoS2/MoS2. The greatly enhanced HDO performance of Co-Mo-S catalyst is attributed to remarkably weakened strength of MoS bond, which can facilitate the sulfur vacancies (Vs) formation on the sulfur edges and promote the reaction rate of direct deoxygenation (DDO) pathway. This work revealed that Co-Mo-S model could better promote the CoMo synergy than the remote control model so as to design more efficient MoS2-based catalysts for HDO reactions.

Binary transition metal doping to create efficient TM–N–C electrocatalysts and enhance ORR catalysis under an external magnetic field

A family of bimetallic oxygen reduction catalysts was prepared from N-containing porous synthetic polymers doped with iron chloride and with the chloride of either Cr, Mn, Co, Cu or Zn. The effects of Fe interaction with the additional transition metal and their magnetic characteristics on the catalytic activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium were investigated. In addition, the ORR catalyzed by these bimetallic non-precious metal catalysts was studied under an external magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet. Linear sweep voltammetry in stationary conditions showed that the Co co-doped catalysts exhibit the highest activity, strongly enhanced by an external magnetic field applied at a 90° angle relative to the catalyst layer surface. Rotating ring-disk electrode tests (at pH = 13) showed that catalysts co-doped with either Mn or Zn exhibit the highest catalytic activity. In these instances, an external magnetic field decreases the amount of undesirable peroxide intermediate as it increases the number of electrons transferred for ORR.

Oxygen-vacancy abundant electrospun Co-doped Ruddlesden-Popper perovskite catalysts for peroxymonosulfate activation and Rhodamine B degradation

The versatility of perovskite crystal structures has allowed their application in persulfate-based advanced oxidation process (PS-AOP). In this study, novel agglomerated-free Ruddlesden-Popper (RP)-type perovskite catalysts were fabricated via electrospinning and subsequent annealing. Structure modulation strategy was implemented by a moderate Co-substitution of relatively inert Cu at B site of RP-type La2CuO4. The performances of Co-doped perovskites (Cox-LC1-xO) for peroxymonosulfate activation and Rhodamine B (RhB) removal were investigated. Co displacement altered the Cox-LC1-xO compositions, increased the concentration of oxygen vacancies (OVs) and accelerated the electron transfer, thereby causing complementary effects on catalytic activities. The abundant OVs governed the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by regulating the cationic redox cycle and decreasing the energy barrier for PMS activation. In particular, OVs energized lattice oxygen, allowing RhB degradation by Co0.5-LC0.5O via the 1O2-dominant non-radical pathway. Co0.5-LC0.5O outperformed other Cox-LC1-xO catalysts with regard to RhB removal efficiency (∼98% within 30 min) and reaction kinetics (k = 0.552 min−1). Besides, Co0.5-LC0.5O exhibited decent reusability, wide pH range (4.0–8.5), and saline adaptation. These findings may facilitate the design of analogous peroxymonosulfate catalysts for wastewater reclamation.

Defect enriched N, S-codoped carbon sheets as an efficient electrocatalyst to oxygen reduction reaction

A nitrogen and sulfur codoped carbon-based catalyst (Fe-NS-AG-C) to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is prepared by pyrolyzing a precursor from iron chloride, thiourea, anhydrous glucose and carbon black. Glucose is transformed to carbon sheets with defect-rich structures which are highly active to the anchoring of nitrogen and sulfur atoms. Correspondingly, the 3.35 at% and 0.63 at% contents of nitrogen and sulfur in Fe-NS-AG-C are heavily higher than the 0.71 at% and 0.26 at% in the controlled catalyst Fe-NS-C (without glucose). The edge-oriented pyridinic N is easily formed as ORR active sites with the C-S structure. A dual mesopore-dominated microstructure is also constructed by the carbon sheets to favor the mass transfer in the reaction process. As a result, the Fe-NS-AG-C presents outstanding ORR performance with more positive half wave potential, greater limiting current density, and better methanol tolerance than the benchmark Pt/C catalyst. The Zn-air battery assembled with Fe-NS-AG-C outputs 1.48 V of open circuit voltage, 156 mW cm−2 of maximum power density, and 1.26 V of work voltage, 785 mAh g−1Zn of specific capacity and 983 mWh g−1Zn of specific energy density at 10 mA cm−2 of discharge current density.