Huaqiao University & Xiamen Institute: CB[7] Supramolecular Confinement Strategy for Synergistic Fe Single-Atom and Cluster ORR Electrocatalyst

Recently, a research group led by Prof. Xie Yiming from the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Huaqiao University, in collaboration with Prof. Lu Canzhong's team at the Xiamen Institute of Rare Earth Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences, published an important study in *Angewandte Chemie International Edition*, a leading international chemistry journal. The researchers developed a supramolecular confinement strategy using cucurbit[7]uril to create oxygen reduction electrocatalysts featuring synergistic active sites composed of highly loaded Fe single atoms and Fe clusters. These catalysts demonstrate significantly superior performance compared to commercial Pt/C in zinc–air batteries, establishing a new design paradigm for non-noble metal electrocatalytic materials.

Research Subject: Cucurbit[7]uril (abbreviated as Q[7] or CB[7])

Highlight:

To overcome the challenge that M–N–C catalysts struggle to simultaneously achieve high activity of atomically dispersed metal sites and high metal loading, this work uses cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) as a nanocage precursor and ferrocene as the metal source. We construct an angstrom-scale spatially confined Fc@CB[7] precursor via host-guest self-assembly. Coupled with a ternary molten salt-assisted high-temperature pyrolysis strategy, we successfully fabricate a novel oxygen electrocatalyst, FeAC–FeSA/N–CBC0.7, containing both Fe clusters and Fe single atoms. The catalyst delivers an outstanding ORR half-wave potential of 0.915 V and shows remarkable performance in zinc–air batteries. DFT calculations confirm that Fe7 clusters modulate the local electronic structure of Fe–N4 sites, weaken *OH adsorption, and accelerate oxygen reduction kinetics. This study bridges supramolecular chemistry and electrochemistry, offering new insights and theoretical support for designing high-efficiency oxygen electrocatalysts and clarifying the structure–activity relationship of cluster–single atom synergistic catalysis for oxygen reduction.

From Cucurbit[7]Uril-Based Ferrocene to Nitrogen Self-Doped Porous Carbon Hosting Fe Single Atoms and Atomic Clusters for ORR and Zinc-Air Batteries

Wu, T.; Yin, J.; Zhu, S.; Hai, H.; Xie, Y.; Lu, C. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2026, 65(25), e5762572. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.5762572.