Hybrid Fe‐N‐C Catalyst Integrating Single‐Atom Fe and Nanoscale CeO <sub>2</sub> towards Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction for Zinc‐Air Batteries <sup>†</sup>
Yangfan Pei, Jianfeng Zuo, Xiannong Tang, Longbin Li, Ting Hu, Dirk Lützenkirchen−Hecht, Kai Yuan, Yiwang Chen
Abstract
Comprehensive Summary Developing high‐performance, durable, and cost‐effective oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is essential for advancing next‐generation energy devices like zinc‐air batteries (ZABs). Herein, we engineer a hybrid Fe‐N‐C catalyst (FeSA‐Fe NP /CeO 2 @NC) integrating atomically dispersed Fe‐N x sites, Fe nanoparticles, and oxygen vacancy‐rich CeO 2 nanoparticles within a nitrogen‐doped carbon matrix. Interfacial charge transfer and oxygen vacancy‐mediated electron redistribution, synergistically enhanced by strong metal‐support interactions (SMSI), optimize the electronic configuration of Fe‐N x sites and reduce their electron density. The resulting catalyst exhibits exceptional ORR activity and stability, featuring a half‐wave potential of 0.925 V (vs. RHE) in alkaline media and minimal degradation (1% and 2.8% negative shifts after 10,000/20,000 cycles). In ZABs, it achieves a peak power density of 310.29 mW·cm –2 while sustaining stable operation for over 600 h. This work demonstrates dual role of CeO 2 in enhancing activity and stability, establishing a design principle for high‐performance electrocatalysts in energy conversion systems.