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Inexpensive, high-activity bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are imperative for the development of energy storage and conversion systems. A nitrogen-doped carbon material with a micro−meso−macroporous structure doped with La (LaPNC) containing La−O/N−C active sites is prepared using SiO2 particle templating of carbon and a metal node exchange strategy. The coordination environment of La sites stabilized by two oxygen and four nitrogen atoms (LaO2N4), is further verified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ORR half-wave potential reaches 0.852 V, and the OER overpotential reaches 263 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The Zn−air battery, with LaPNC as the air cathode, has a maximum power density of 202 mW cm−2 and achieves stable charge−discharge for at least 100 h without a significant increase or decrease in the charge or discharge voltages, respectively. Density functional theory calculations suggest that LaO2N4 sites exhibit the lowest activation free energy and the most easily desorbed oxygen capacity. This study provides new insights into the design of efficient, durable bifunctional catalysts as alternatives to precious-metal-based catalysts.

Inexpensive, high-activity bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are imperative for the development of energy storage and conversion systems. A nitrogen-doped carbon material with a micro−meso−macroporous structure doped with La (LaPNC) containing La−O/N−C active sites is prepared using SiO2 particle templating of carbon and a metal node exchange strategy. The coordination environment of La sites stabilized by two oxygen and four nitrogen atoms (LaO2N4), is further verified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ORR half-wave potential reaches 0.852 V, and the OER overpotential reaches 263 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The Zn−air battery, with LaPNC as the air cathode, has a maximum power density of 202 mW cm−2 and achieves stable charge−discharge for at least 100 h without a significant increase or decrease in the charge or discharge voltages, respectively. Density functional theory calculations suggest that LaO2N4 sites exhibit the lowest activation free energy and the most easily desorbed oxygen capacity. This study provides new insights into the design of efficient, durable bifunctional catalysts as alternatives to precious-metal-based catalysts.

Designing high-efficiency and low-cost catalysts with high current densities for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for commercial seawater electrolysis. Here, we present a heterophase synthetic strategy for constructing an electrocatalyst with dense heterogeneous interfacial sites among crystalline Ni2P, Fe2P, CeO2, and amorphous NiFeCe oxides on nickel foam (NF). The synergistic effect of high-density crystalline and amorphous heterogeneous interfaces effectively promotes the redistribution of the charge density and optimizes the adsorbed oxygen intermediates, lowering the energy barrier and promoting the O2 desorption, thus enhancing the OER performance. The obtained NiFeO-CeO2/NF catalyst exhibited outstanding OER catalytic activity, with low overpotentials of 338 and 408 mV required to attain high current densities of 500 and 1000 mA cm-2, respectively, in alkaline natural seawater electrolytes. The solar-driven seawater electrolysis system presents a record-setting and stable solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 20.10%. This work provides directives for developing highly effective and stable catalysts for large-scale clean energy production.

Inexpensive, high-activity bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are imperative for the development of energy storage and conversion systems. A nitrogen-doped carbon material with a micro−meso−macroporous structure doped with La (LaPNC) containing La−O/N−C active sites is prepared using SiO2 particle templating of carbon and a metal node exchange strategy. The coordination environment of La sites stabilized by two oxygen and four nitrogen atoms (LaO2N4), is further verified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ORR half-wave potential reaches 0.852 V, and the OER overpotential reaches 263 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The Zn−air battery, with LaPNC as the air cathode, has a maximum power density of 202 mW cm−2 and achieves stable charge−discharge for at least 100 h without a significant increase or decrease in the charge or discharge voltages, respectively. Density functional theory calculations suggest that LaO2N4 sites exhibit the lowest activation free energy and the most easily desorbed oxygen capacity. This study provides new insights into the design of efficient, durable bifunctional catalysts as alternatives to precious-metal-based catalysts.

Inexpensive, high-activity bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are imperative for the development of energy storage and conversion systems. A nitrogen-doped carbon material with a micro−meso−macroporous structure doped with La (LaPNC) containing La−O/N−C active sites is prepared using SiO2 particle templating of carbon and a metal node exchange strategy. The coordination environment of La sites stabilized by two oxygen and four nitrogen atoms (LaO2N4), is further verified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ORR half-wave potential reaches 0.852 V, and the OER overpotential reaches 263 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The Zn−air battery, with LaPNC as the air cathode, has a maximum power density of 202 mW cm−2 and achieves stable charge−discharge for at least 100 h without a significant increase or decrease in the charge or discharge voltages, respectively. Density functional theory calculations suggest that LaO2N4 sites exhibit the lowest activation free energy and the most easily desorbed oxygen capacity. This study provides new insights into the design of efficient, durable bifunctional catalysts as alternatives to precious-metal-based catalysts.

Inexpensive, high-activity bifunctional catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are imperative for the development of energy storage and conversion systems. A nitrogen-doped carbon material with a micro−meso−macroporous structure doped with La (LaPNC) containing La−O/N−C active sites is prepared using SiO2 particle templating of carbon and a metal node exchange strategy. The coordination environment of La sites stabilized by two oxygen and four nitrogen atoms (LaO2N4), is further verified by X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The ORR half-wave potential reaches 0.852 V, and the OER overpotential reaches 263 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The Zn−air battery, with LaPNC as the air cathode, has a maximum power density of 202 mW cm−2 and achieves stable charge−discharge for at least 100 h without a significant increase or decrease in the charge or discharge voltages, respectively. Density functional theory calculations suggest that LaO2N4 sites exhibit the lowest activation free energy and the most easily desorbed oxygen capacity. This study provides new insights into the design of efficient, durable bifunctional catalysts as alternatives to precious-metal-based catalysts.