Regulation of the B Site at La(Ni_0.1)MnO₃ Perovskite Decorated with N-Doped Carbon for a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst in Zn–Air Batteries

The development of nanocomposites with unique structures by combining perovskites (ABO3) is of significant importance for improving oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The introduction of transition metals in active B sites is considered a useful pathway to regulate the chemical and electronic properties of perovskites. In this study, a bifunctional activity-enhanced La(Ni0.1)MnO3 perovskite decorated with N-doped carbon (NC) is developed by a B-site doping strategy. The resulting La(Ni0.1)MnO3@NC catalyst possesses numerous benefits including unique morphology, controllable synthesis, high conductivity, bifunctional activity, and durability. The enhancement was attributed to the synergistic effect of N-doped porous carbon and [MnO6] with the incorporation of [NiO6], resulting in the regulated charge redistribution and disorder degree. Remarkably, the rechargeable Zn–air battery assembled with La(Ni0.1)MnO3@NC in the air cathode also displays satisfactory performance due to the regulation of coordination units when compared with a commercial catalyst. This study shows that the catalytic performance of perovskite oxide-based electrocatalysts can be significantly improved by B-site regulation and allows for the construction of effective cathode catalysts for metal–air batteries.