Carbon hybrid with 3D nano-forest architecture in-situ catalytically constructed by CoFe alloy as advanced multifunctional electrocatalysts for Zn-air batteries-driven water splitting

Rational design and facile synthesis of non-noble materials as the effective multifunctional electrocatalysts are still challenging. Herein, a self-catalytically grafted growth approach is developed to construct carbon hybrid with three-dimensional (3D) nano-forest architecture via controlled pyrolysis of metal-polymer nanofiber precursor and melamine. The metal-polymer nanofibers act as the matrix, and melamine is used as the initiator for orientated growth of one-dimensional (1D) N-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) on carbon nanofibers. The as-prepared CoFe-N-CNTs/CNFs-900 possesses unique structure and component advantages in terms of 3D structure, special synapse-like structure, porous feature, high-level N doping and bimetallic active components, which endow the material with structural stability, high mass/electron transport ability and large active sur-/interfaces. Benefiting from the integrated effects of all the above factors, CoFe-N-CNTs/CNFs were successfully applied to overall water splitting and Zn-air batteries. It is believed that this integrated design methodology can be extended to prepare other M−N−C materials for energy-related electrochemical reactions.