CoTe2/NiTe2 heterojunction embedded in N-doped hollow carbon nanoboxes as high-efficient ORR/OER catalyst for rechargeable zinc-air battery

Interface engineering has been recognized as one of the most promising strategies for tuning the catalytic properties of catalysts. However, building well-defined nanointerfaces for efficient oxygen reduction/evolution reactions (ORR/OER) remains a challenge. Herein, a hollow heterostructure composed of highly-dispersed CoTe 2 inside the mesoporous walls of nitrogen-doped carbon nanoboxes and uniformly-dispersed NiTe 2 outside the mesoporous walls (H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs) is designed via a ZIF67-involved etching-anchoring-tellurization strategy. Promising half-wave potential of 0.86 V and overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA cm −2 are obtained by H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs. The excellent ORR/OER activity of H-CoTe 2 /NiTe 2 @NCBs is ascribed to the synergistic coupling based on nanointerfaces between CoTe 2 and NiTe 2 . Density functional theory calculations confirm that the nanointerface-based electronic coupling between CoTe 2 and NiTe 2 facilitates the charge transfer between two components and generates abundant catalytically active sites at the heterointerface, thereby significantly promoting the ORR/OER activities. This work provides the design principles for transitional bimetallic tellurides as bifunctional electrocatalysts.