Efficient and durable oxygen reduction in alkaline media by doping heteroatomic boron into FeSA-NC catalyst

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science Vol. 669; pp. 896 - 901
• Main Authors: Zhang, Wenlin, Zhang, Shenghu, Guo, Peng, Chen, Huilin, Zhou, Yuzhuo, Yu, Fengshou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01-09-2024
• Subjects: Electronic state; Heteroatomic boron; Oxygen reduction reaction; Single-atom catalysts; Zn-air batteries; Single-atom catalysts; Electronic state; Oxygen reduction reaction; Zn-air batteries; Heteroatomic boron
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2024.05.076

With the incorporation of heteroatomic B into single-atom Fe catalyst (FeSA-NC), a catalyst named FeSA-BNC with a configuration of Fe-N3B1 had been synthesized for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The low electronegativity of B induced charge redistribution around the active center Fe, thereby modulating the ORR activity. The FeSA-BNC catalyst demonstrated an outstanding ORR performance in alkaline conditions, with a half-wave potential of 0.87 V.
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•Coordination of low electronegativity B with Fe atom.•Regulating the charge states of the active site Fe.•The decrease of the d-band center of Fe promoting the desorption of ORR intermediates and enhancing the ORR performance.
Despite extensive research has been conducted on atomic dispersion catalysts for various reactions, altering the electronic structure of the central metal to enhance electrochemical reactivity remains a challenging task. Herein, the electrochemical reactivity was considerably enhanced by introducing heteroatomic B to adjust the d-band of single Fe center. In specific, the obtained FeSA-BNC catalyst demonstrated an outstanding ORR performance (E1/2 = 0.87 V) and exhibited greater long-term durability in alkaline media compared to Pt/C. The performance of FeSA-BNC in Zn–air battery was also higher than that of Pt/C. According to theoretical calculations, a downward shift in the d-band center of Fe was induced by introducing B, thereby improving the desorption of intermediates and facilitating the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).