Hybrid Fe-N-C Catalyst Integrating Single-Atom Fe and Nanoscale CeO2 towards Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction for Zinc-Air Batteries
Yangfan Pei , Jianfeng Zuo , Xiannong Tang , Longbin Li , Ting Hu , Dirk Lützenkirchen-Hecht , Kai Yuan , Yiwang Chen
Chinese Journal of Chemistry ›› 2026, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (1) : 80 -88.
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-FeNP/CeO2@NC) integrating atomically dispersed Fe-Nx sites, Fe nanoparticles, and oxygen vacancy-rich CeO2 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-Nx 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 CeO2 in enhancing activity and stability, establishing a design principle for high-performance electrocatalysts in energy conversion systems.
Fe-N-C catalysts / CeO2 nanoparticles / Oxygen reduction reaction / Durability / Zinc-air batteries / Catalytic activity / Electrocatalysis / Metal nanoparticles
2025 SIOC, CAS, Shanghai, & WILEY-VCH GmbH
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