Ferredoxin-Inspired Design of S-Synergized Fe–Fe Dual-Metal Center Catalysts for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract

Dual-metal center catalysts (DMCs) have shown the ability to enhance the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) owing to their distinctive structural configurations. However, the precise modulation of electronic structure and the in-depth understanding of synergistic mechanisms between dual metal sites of DMCs at the atomic level remain challenging. Herein, mimicking the ferredoxin, Fe-based DMCs (Fe₂N₆-S) are strategically designed and fabricated, in which additional Fe and S sites are synchronously installed near the Fe sites and serve as “dual modulators” for coarse- and fine-tuning of the electronic modulation, respectively. The as-prepared Fe₂N₆-S catalyst exhibits enhanced ORR activity and outstanding Zinc-air (Zn–air) battery performance compared to the conventional single Fe site catalysts. The theoretical and experimental results reveal that introducing the second metal Fe creates a dual adsorption site that alters the O₂ adsorption configuration and effectively activates the O─O bond, while the synergistic effect of dual Fe sites results in the downward shift of the d-band center, facilitating the release of OH*. Additionally, local electronic engineering of heteroatom S for Fe sites further facilitates the formation of the rate-determining step OOH*, thus accelerating the reaction kinetics.