Enhancing Bifunctional Catalytic Activity of Oxygen Reduction and Evolution Reaction via One‐Pot Formation of MnO ₂ ‐Carbon Hybrid Nanocomposite

While manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) is a promising bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR/OER) in alkaline media, electrochemical performance of bulk MnO 2 limited by their poor electrical conductivity. Herein, we fabricate a MnO 2 ‐carbon nanoparticle hybrid composite (MO‐CNP) by applying the plasma discharge in the single precursor of purple benzene. This synthesis route facilitates a simultaneous formation of MnO 2 and carbon, which induced a homogeneously mixed and firmly anchored hybrid composite. As a result, as‐obtained MO‐CNP‐1 shows more than 12 times higher electrical conductivity than that of prepared conventionally. Thus, formation of MO‐CNP could be accompanied by a synergy between MnO 2 and CNP as electrocatalyst, and consequently, electrochemical properties were significantly improved. In comparison with CNP, the ORR potential of MO‐CNP‐1 was positively shifted from –0.28 to –0.23 V (vs. Ag/AgCl), and current density has increased more than 2 times. Although the ORR activity of MO‐CNP‐1 was still far a little short of the commercial Pt/C, the MO‐CNP‐1 indicated significant higher OER activity, which demonstrated excellent overall catalytic capability of MO‐CNP‐1 as bifunctional catalyst.