Nonmetal Single-Tellurium-Atom Electrocatalysts for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Due to complex synthesis processes and the tendency of isolated metal atoms to aggregate in metal-based single-atom catalysts (SACs) for energy-related applications, such as oxygen evolution reaction (OER), it is crucial to develop fully metal-free SACs for advancing the technological evolution of SACs. Herein, under the guidance of theoretical calculation, nonmetal tellurium (Te) single atoms anchored on N,O-doped carbon, abbreviated as Te SA/(N,O)-C, can be harvested, which displays superior OER activity. Experimentally, nonmetal Te SACs that compromise Te–C/Te–O embedded in the support are, for the first time, controllably synthesized with a Te loading of ≤12.1 wt%. Te SA/(N,O)-C shows superior OER activity with an overpotential of 346 mV at 10 mA cm –2, a Tafel slope of 64.9 mV dec –1 and excellent durability, superior to or at least comparable to state-of-the-art metal catalysts. In situ Raman spectra and theoretical calculations demonstrate that strong electronic interaction between single Te atoms and the support optimizes the electronic structure of active centers for better binding affinity to intermediates, and lower the energy barrier. It is envisioned that this work can open up a promising avenue to design efficient and durable nonmetal SACs for advanced catalysis.