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Replacing Pt-based catalysts with cost-effective, highly efficient, and durable platinum group metal-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for commercializing hydrogen fuel cells. Herein, we present a highly active Fe–N–C electrocatalyst that contains both Fe nanoparticles and FeNx active sites derived from an Fe-doped carbonized zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF-8). It is found that adjusting the doping amount of Fe in the Fe-doped ZIF-8 precursor alters the morphology of the catalyst after heat treatment. The Fe–N–C-300 composite catalyst with the optimized Fe doping amount exhibits excellent activity, good stability, and remarkable methanol tolerance in the challenging acid environment. This study reveals that a suitable amount of Fe nanoparticles in the catalyst can alter the structure of the FeNx active moieties and increase three-phase boundaries to boost the mass transport, thus leading to improved fuel cell performance. This will have implications for using Fe–N–C catalysts in real applications, as the formation of Fe NPs during the synthesis and reaction is almost inevitable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic synergy is an unresolved activity descriptor in energy conversion reactions. Here, this study reports the synergistically enhanced intrinsic oxygen evolution reaction activity of a FeNi model catalyst modified with molybdate oxo‐anions via concertedly boosted surface/interface interactions such as interfacial charge transfer, surface intermediate adsorption, in situ phase transformation, and gas bubble evolution. Capturing such cosynergistic impact reveals the accelerated transition of oxygen deprotonation to oxyhydroxide state, ready‐to‐function Fe and Ni active sites, the instant transformation of Fe and Ni local microenvironments to γ ‐FeOOH and β ‐NiOOH phases, and ultrafast gas bubble growth and release. The accelerated oxygen bubble evolution dynamic is monitored in operando with a decreased dynamic variation of the interfacial Faradaic resistance. Such cosynergistic molybdate modification results in a tenfold increase in oxygen evolution turnover frequency as well as a 55 mV decrease in the overpotentials to deliver 10 and 1000 mA cm−2 with respect to the FeNi‐model catalyst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]