Asymmetric Coordination of Bimetallic Fe–Co Single-Atom Pairs toward Enhanced Bifunctional Activity for Rechargeable Zinc–Air Batteries

The advancement of rechargeable zinc–air batteries (RZABs) faces challenges from the pronounced polarization and sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER). Single-atom catalysts offer an effective solution, yet their insufficient or singular catalytic activity hinders their development. In this work, a dual single-atom catalyst, FeCo-SAs, was fabricated, featuring atomically dispersed N3–Fe–Co–N4 sites on N-doped graphene nanosheets for bifunctional activity. Introducing Co into Fe single-atoms and secondary pyrolysis altered Fe coordination with N, creating an asymmetric environment that promoted charge transfer and increased the density of states near the Fermi level. This…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 22309077, U19A2089, 52072205
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Award: 2019YFA0705700
• SS
  Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program

  Awards: JCYJ20200109141014474, JCYJ20220818100406014
• BA
  Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province

  Award: 2022A1515110117