Impeding Thermal Atomization Enables Synthesizing Fe₂N Cluster Liganded Single Fe-Atom Catalyst for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

ABSTRACT: Anchoring a ligand, such as a functional group or a cluster, on the active metal center is an effective strategy for regulating the electronic structure of single-atom catalysts (SACs). Herein, we present a nitridation-induced-clustering strategy to produce not only SAC Fe-N₄ in N-doped carbon nanorods, but also Fe₂N cluster as a ligand anchored on the active Fe site (Fe₂N_nc/Fe₁-N-C). Unlike the conventional iron atomization process, the reactive nitridation process can generate thermodynamically stable Fe₂N intermediates by nitriding the initially formed iron oxide, thereby impeding subsequent thermal atomization to fabricate Fe₂N_nc/Fe₁-N-C catalysts. Compared to the conventional SAC Fe

SUBMITTER: Ma FX 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12304842 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature