Accelerated oxygen reduction on Fe/N/C catalysts derived from precisely-designed ZIF precursors

Fe/N/C material is the most competitive alternative to precious-metal catalysts for oxygen reduction. In view of the present consensus on active centers, further effort is directed at maximizing the density of single Fe atoms. Here, the imperfections in commonly used doping strategy of Fe for the synthesis of zeolitic imidazolateframework (ZIF)-derived Fe/N/C catalysts are revealed. More importantly, a strikingly improved catalyst is obtained by a ‘second pyrolysis’ method and delivers a half-wave potential of 0.825 V (vs. RHE) in acidic media. The strong confinement effect of carbonaceous host accounts for the formation of dense single-atom sites and thus the high activity. Our findings will potentially facilitate future improvement of M/N/C catalysts.