Single-atomic cobalt sites embedded in hierarchically ordered porous nitrogen-doped carbon as a superior bifunctional electrocatalyst

Exploring efficient and cost-effective catalysts to replace precious metal catalysts, such as Pt, for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) holds great promise for renewable energy technologies. Herein, we prepare a type of Co catalyst with single-atomic Co sites embedded in hierarchically ordered porous <i>N</i>-doped carbon (Co-SAS/HOPNC) through a facile dual-template cooperative pyrolysis approach. The desirable combination of highly dispersed isolated atomic Co-N₄ active sites, large surface area, high porosity, and good conductivity gives rise to an excellent catalytic performance. The catalyst exhibits outstanding performance for ORR in alkaline medium with a half-wave potential (<i>E</i>_1/2) of 0.892 V, which is 53 mV more positive than that of Pt/C, as well as a high tolerance of methanol and great stability. The catalyst also shows a remarkable catalytic performance for HER with distinctly high turnover frequencies of 0.41 and 3.8 s^-1 at an overpotential of 100 and 200 mV, respectively, together with a long-term durability in acidic condition. Experiments and density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the atomically isolated single Co sites and the structural advantages of the unique 3D hierarchical porous architecture synergistically contribute to the high catalytic activity.