Applying Sulfonated Cobalt(II) Phthalocyanine-Modified Ti-Fe ₂ O ₃ to Optimize Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Boost Overall Function in Photoassisted Zinc-Air Batteries

To improve the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetic performance of zinc-air batteries, the photoassisted strategy was utilized to introduce photogenerated carriers, enhancing the OER catalytic performance and thus improving the battery charging efficiency. Accordingly, in this work, commercial sulfonated cobalt(II) phthalocyanine (CoPcS) was loaded onto the surface of Ti-Fe₂O₃ electrodes via a hydrothermal method. Subsequently, the CoPcS/Ti-Fe₂O₃ composite electrode was successfully fabricated and applied in photoassisted zinc-air batteries (ZABs). The composite electrode demonstrated excellent performance: the OER onset potential was as low as 0.75 V (vs RHE), and the ORR limiting current density reached 1.28 mA cm^-2 under the condition of 0 V (vs RHE). At a current density of 0.1 mA cm^-2 under illumination, the battery had excellent charge-discharge performance, with the charging voltage being 1.187 V, the discharging voltage being 1.108 V, and the charge-discharge round trip efficiency being as high as 93.3%.