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(Ni_0.1)MnO₃ perovskite decorated with N-doped carbon (NC) is developed by a B-site doping strategy. The resulting La(Ni_0.1)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(Ni_0.1)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.