Oxygen electrocatalysis stands at the heart of next-generation metal–air batteries and fuel cells, yet the age-old trade-off between activity and durability persists. Now, a joint team from the State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing at China University of Petroleum (East China) and Peking University, led by Professor Yuan Pan, reveals how local microstrain can be exploited as a precise tuning knob for single-atom catalysts (SACs). Their study, published in Nano-Micro Letters , demonstrates that curvature-controlled strain on hollow carbon nanospheres unlocks record-setting ORR performance and long-term stability.
Why Microstrain Matters
Engineering the Strained Architecture
Characterizing the Strain Effect
Future Outlook
By translating nanoscopic curvature into controllable bond strain, the Chai team transforms single-atom catalysts from static motifs into dynamically self-optimizing centers, pushing metal–air technology ever closer to commercial reality.
Nano-Micro Letters
Experimental study
Deciphering Local Microstrain-Induced Optimization of Asymmetric Fe Single Atomic Sites for Efficient Oxygen Reduction
26-May-2025