Dip-coating synthesis of high-surface area nanostructured FeB for direct usage as anode in metal/metalloid-air battery

• Nanostructured FeB was synthesized via facile dip-coating chemical reduction coupled with a heat treatment process.
• The nanoFeB300 demostrates excellent anode discharge performance in metal/metalloid-air battery.
• Anode performance of nanoFeBs is dictated by its surface area.

Multi-electron reaction anodes have been exciting battery materials due to their exceptionally high energy densities. Herein, nanostructured iron borides (nanoFeB) have been synthesized via dip-coating chemical reduction in conjunction with a heat treatment procedure and were directly used as anodes in a metal/metalloid-air battery. The crystal structure, particle size, BET surface area, and electrochemical properties of iron boride samples treated at four different temperature conditions (200 °C, 300 °C, 400 °C, and 500 °C) were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, potentiodynamic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The nanoFeB heat-treated at 300 °C (nanoFeB300) exhibits the highest surface area among reported values in literature and demonstrates excellent anode discharge performance in a metal/metalloid-air battery.

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