Publications
Prof. Zonghoon Lee’s Atomic-Scale Electron Microscopy Lab
Prof. Zonghoon Lee’s Atomic-Scale Electron Microscopy Lab
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Publications in Nature | Science | their sister journals
Nature Materials, 24, 1507–1508, 2025 / Nature Communications, 16:7180, 2025 / Science Advances, 10 (45), 2024 / Nature, 629, 348-354,2024 / Nature Communications, 14:4747, 2023 / Nature Communications, 13:4916, 2022 / Nature Communications, 13:2759, 2022 / Nature, 596, 519-524, 2021 / Nature, 582, 511-514, 2020 / Nature Nanotechnology, 15, 289-295, 2020 / Nature Nanotechnology, 15, 59-66, 2020 / Science Advances, 6 (10), 2020 / Nature Electronics, 3, 207-215, 2020 / Nature Communications, 11 (1437), 2020 / Nature Energy, 3, 773-782, 2018 / Nature Communications, 8:1549, 2017 / Nature Communications, 6:8294, 2015 / Nature Communications, 6:7817, 2015 / Nature Communications, 5:3383, 2014
Abstract
Sluggish oxygen electrocatalytic kinetics and diffusion limitations remain key barriers to high-performance zinc–air batteries (ZABs). Herein, we report a dice-like Co/N codoped hollow carbon cage catalyst (Co/N-HCC) featuring efficient atom-particle coupled Co single atoms and nanoparticles (CoSA&CoNP) confined within a hierarchically porous framework via a self-templated surface-confinement strategy. Calculations and in situ spectroelectrochemical experiments suggest that the atom-particle electronic coupling triggers substantial interfacial charge redistribution and tunes the d-band center of Co–N4 moieties, thereby regulating oxygenated intermediate adsorption and accelerating interfacial electron transfer. Remarkably, the tailored Co/N-HCC achieved superior bifunctional electrocatalytic activity with a low potential gap of 0.63 V in alkaline media. Furthermore, the Co/N-HCC-based ZAB delivers a high peak power density of 269.1 mW cm–2, a specific capacity of 813.6 mAh g–1, and robust cycling durability. This work elucidates a mechanistic paradigm for integrating atom-particle electronic coupling with hierarchical porosity toward advanced oxygen electrocatalysts.