Revealing the Orbital Interactions between Dissimilar Metal Sites during Oxygen Reduction Process

A FeCo/DA@NC catalyst with the well-defined FeCoN₆ moiety is customized through a novel and ultrafast Joule heating technique. This catalyst demonstrates superior oxygen reduction reaction activity and stability in an alkaline environment. The power density and charge-discharge cycling of znic-air batteries driven by FeCo/DA@NC also surpass those of Pt/C catalyst. The source of the excellent oxygen reduction reaction activity of FeCo/DA@NC originates from the significantly changed charge environment and 3d orbital spin state. These not only improve the bonding strength between active sites and oxygen-containing intermediates, but also provide spare reaction sites for oxygen-containing intermediates. Moreover, various in situ detection techniques reveal that the rate-determining step in the four-electron oxygen reduction reaction is *O₂ protonation. This work provides strong support for the precise design and rapid preparation of bimetallic catalysts and opens up new ideas for understanding orbital interactions during oxygen reduction reactions.