Enhanced Catalytic Activity of LaMnO₃ Perovskite Toward Oxygen Reduction Reaction Using Oxygen‐Vacancy Engineering

Abstract Zinc‐air batteries (ZABs) have garnered significant attention due to their high theoretical energy density, safety, and environmental sustainability. However, the slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics at the cathode remains a major challenge for improving ZAB performances. In this study, ABO 3 ‐type perovskite transition metal oxides, particularly LaMnO 3 , are explored as potential nonprecious metal catalysts to address these limitations. In this work, the LaMnO 3 catalyst was prepared using the sol‐gel method, and oxygen vacancies were introduced through a novel carbon reduction approach using conductive carbon black as the reducing agent. The catalyst was reduced at different temperatures to optimize its ORR activity. The 500 °C‐reduced sample (LMOC‐500) shows the superior catalytic performances, achieving an onset potential of 0.937 V versus RHE and a half‐wave potential of 0.824 V versus RHE. The optimized material also exhibited excellent stability in long‐term discharge tests in ZAB applications, demonstrating its potential application as the ORR catalyst for ZABs.