Fe/Ce Dual-Atom Engineering to Break the Activity-Stability Trade-Off for Ultra-Stable Zinc-Air Batteries.

To address the stability limitations of conventional Fe─N─C catalysts caused by H2O2 byproducts and reactive oxygen species (ROS), an innovative dual-metal single-atom synergistic strategy is developed, resulting in the fabrication of a hierarchically porous hollow carbon fiber catalyst co-anchored with Fe and Ce dual-atom sites (FeCe DAC/HCNF). The catalyst features an interconnected network of hollow channels and carbon nanocages, forming a hierarchical micro/mesoporous structure (specific surface area: 935.24 m2 g-1) that enhances mass transport efficiency and maximizes exposure of active sites. The dual-atom site is developed to achieve a "kill two birds with one stone" effect: Ce single-atom sites adjacent to Fe centers not only effectively scavenge ROS and decompose H2O2, but also modulate the Fe centers, thereby synergistically enhancing the intrinsic ORR activity while mitigating carbon matrix degradation. The FeCe DAC/HCNF catalyst exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance and stability in both alkaline and acidic media. When integrated into zinc-air batteries, it achieves superior device performance compared to Fe─N─C catalysts, with a remarkable cycling durability of 2300 cycles (∼1100 h of stable operation). This work breaks the traditional activity-stability trade-off of catalysts, providing a novel pathway for developing high-durability zinc-air batteries.