Surface modulation of transition-metal-doped MoS₂@graphite felt for bifunctional catalysis in Zn-air batteries

Surface modulation is essential to bifunctional catalysis especially for energy devices. Herein, transition-metal-doped MoS₂ is shown to have modulated interfacial states to facilitate bifunctional catalysis of the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR/OER) in Zn-air batteries. The uniform distribution, vertically aligned layer, and stable Fe doped MoS₂ semiconducting nanoparticles produce promising bifunctional catalysis in the fabricated Zn-air batteries. Electrochemical assessment reveals that the surface electronic states and adsorption/desorption effects are crucial to the properties and stability of the bifunctional electrode in ORR/OER. The new findings divulge an effective strategy to modulate surface/interface states to produce high-performance bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction/evolution reactions.