Citation: Jinjie Zhong, Yuling Liu, Zhanglong He, Taotao Zeng, Yu Long, Weizhi Peng, Ruilong Liu, Shan Liu, Wei Xie, Hao He, Yonggang Wang. Co-Fe dual-site-induced electronic reconstruction of α-MnO₂ for durable rechargeable zinc-air batteries[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(12): 113292. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.113292 shu

Co-Fe dual-site-induced electronic reconstruction of α-MnO₂ for durable rechargeable zinc-air batteries

Jinjie Zhong ^{a, 1} ,
Yuling Liu ^{a, 1} ,
Zhanglong He ^a ,
Taotao Zeng ^{a, b, *,} ,
Yu Long ^a ,
Weizhi Peng ^a ,
Ruilong Liu ^a ,
Shan Liu ^a ,
Wei Xie ^{a, *,} ,
Hao He ^{a, *,} ,
Yonggang Wang ^{b, *,}

a.
College of Material Science and Engineering, Changsha University of Science & Technology, Changsha 410114, China
b.
Department of Chemistry and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Institute of New Energy, iChEM (Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials), Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China

ttzeng2013@163.com

xiew014@mail.ustc.edu.cn

hehao0520@gmail.com

ygwang@fudan.edu.cn

Received Date: 27 June 2026
Revised Date: 31 July 2026
Accepted Date: 7 August 2026
Available Online: 7 August 2026

Figures(5)

Although zinc-air batteries (ZABs) are considered promising energy storage technologies due to their high energy density and low cost, their efficiency and durability are severely limited by the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Hence, an atomic-level electronic reconstruction strategy is proposed, in which atomically dispersed Co and Fe bimetallic sites are anchored on α-MnO₂ nanorods (Co-Fe@MnO₂), thereby enabling highly reversible and durable electrocatalysis. The strong electronic interactions between Co-Fe dual sites and the MnO₂ support induce the generation of abundant low-valence Mn species and oxygen vacancies, enriching electronic states near the Fermi level and downshifting the d-band center. This dual-site-induced electronic reconstruction optimizes the adsorption and desorption of oxygen intermediates, effectively accelerating the kinetic processes of ORR and OER. Therefore, the Co-Fe@MnO₂ catalyst delivers outstanding bifunctional electrocatalytic activity, with a half-wave potential of 0.85 V for the ORR, and an overpotential of 230 mV for the OER at 10 mA/cm², yielding a narrow bifunctional potential gap of 0.83 V. Consequently, the self-assembled rechargeable ZAB integrated with the Co-Fe@MnO₂ air cathode achieves a peak power density of 249 mW/cm² at 360 mA/cm² and exhibits excellent cycling stability. This study reveals the key role of dual-site-induced electronic reconstruction in regulating the catalytic behavior of MnO₂ and provides a practical strategy for designing high-performance bifunctional electrocatalysts for metal-air energy storage systems.
- Zinc-air batteries,
- Bifunctional electrocatalysis,
- Electronic reconstruction,
- Manganese dioxide,
- Dual-site
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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

Co-Fe dual-site-induced electronic reconstruction of α-MnO2 for durable rechargeable zinc-air batteries

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Co-Fe dual-site-induced electronic reconstruction of α-MnO₂ for durable rechargeable zinc-air batteries