p-d Orbital Hybridization Induced by Asymmetrical FeSn Dual Atom Sites Promotes the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

With more flexible active sites and intermetal interaction, dual-atom catalysts (DACs) have emerged as a new frontier in various electrocatalytic reactions. Constructing a typical p-d orbital hybridization between p-block and d-block metal atoms may bring new avenues for manipulating the electronic properties and thus boosting the electrocatalytic activities. Herein, we report a distinctive heteronuclear dual-metal atom catalyst with asymmetrical FeSn dual atom sites embedded on a two-dimensional C2N nanosheet (FeSn–C2N), which displays excellent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance with a half-wave potential of 0.914 V in an alkaline electrolyte. Theoretical calculations further unveil the powerful p-d orbital hybridization between p-block stannum and d-block ferrum in FeSn dual atom sites, which triggers electron delocalization and lowers the energy barrier of *OH protonation, consequently enhancing the ORR activity. In addition, the FeSn–C2N-based Zn–air battery provides a high maximum power density (265.5 mW cm–2) and a high specific capacity (754.6 mA h g–1). Consequently, this work validates the immense potential of p-d orbital hybridization along dual-metal atom catalysts and provides new perception into the logical design of heteronuclear DACs.