Spin-Polarization-Activated d – p Orbital Coupling Enables Optimal Oxygen Reduction Reaction of Cobalt

作者：Yugang Qi, Qing Liang, Mengjie Wu, Kexin Song, Meiqi Liu, Jiang Zhou, Xiujuan Li, Yang Fa, Wei Zhang · 发表于：Nano Letters · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c02586 · 被引用次数：25 · 研究领域：Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion、Catalytic Processes in Materials Science、Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques

The spin configuration of electrons is inherently linked to catalytic activity, particularly in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Since the regulation of electron distribution in the d orbital of a metal center affects the spin state greatly, the adsorption behavior of active sites is influenced by intermediates. Herein, a straightforward adsorption-pyrolysis strategy was employed to co-anchor Co and S atoms onto amorphous carbon (CoN x S 4– x, x = 1, 2, 3). As a result, the presence of S enhances the Co spin state (t2g4eg2). In the high-spin state, the electron back-donation effect of Co 3+ becomes more pronounced. As this effect strengthens the Co and O orbital coupling ( d–p ), it facilitates the conversion of the ligand of O 2 to *OOH and remarkably improves the reaction kinetics. Consequently, the case of CoN 1 S 3 has demonstrated superior catalytic performance ( E 1/2 = 0.88 V), surpassing noble metal catalysts and most recently reported Co-based catalysts.