Tantular Nurtono, Susanto Susanto, Abdul Quddus Al Kahfi, Abdullah Yusuf Purnomo, Widiyastuti Widiyastuti, Heru Setyawan
Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that occurs slowly at the cathode during the discharging process is usually a cause of problems in air metal batteries. Thus, to accelerate the oxygen reduction process, an electrocatalyst is required. N-doped carbons can be used as electrocatalysts through adding metal oxides based on non-precious metals, such Fe and Mn. The aim of the research is to investigate the effect of addition metal oxides based on iron and manganese to N-doped carbon aerogels affects their ability to perform as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions. In a magnesium-air battery system with a 3.5% NaCl electrolyte, the performance of N-doped carbon with the addition of Fe and Mn based metal oxides as an air cathode electrocatalyst was tested. N-doped carbon with the addition of Fe and Mn-based metal oxides has been successfully synthesized from the results of 700°C pyrolysis on cellulose aerogel based on palm empty fruit bunches through the addition of metal salts FeCl3 and MnCl2 impregnation. The electrocatalyst performance for ORR is enhanced by the addition of Fe and Mn-based metal oxides to N-doped carbon aerogels. The magnesium-air system in seawater battery applications with a 3.5% NaCl electrolyte, N-doped carbon with the addition of Fe and Mn based metal oxides added as an electrocatalyst on the air cathode, and magnesium alloy AZ31B as the anode, achieved a stable discharge voltage of 1.32 V over a 45.5 h discharge period. This system has a discharge energy density of 2654 mWhg-1 and a specific discharge capacity of 2033 mAhg-1. The addition of N-doped carbon aerogel with Fe and Mn-based metal oxides has successfully enhanced the performance of seawater batteries. © 2026 Author(s).
Department of Chemical Engineering, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology, Kampus ITS Sukolilo, Surabaya, 60111, Indonesia; Department of Chemical Engineering, State Polytechnic of Malang, Jl. Soekarno-Hatta No. 9, Malang, 65141, Indonesia