Dual-atom catalysts for oxygen electrocatalysis

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are involved in various electrochemical devices but are severely sluggish in kinetics. Dual-atom catalysts demonstrate unique advantages in terms of high intrinsic electrocatalytic activity, maximum atomic efficiency, high chemical diversity, and positive synergy between the dual atoms. As a result, dual-atom catalysts have attracted wide-spread attention as advanced ORR and OER electrocatalysts. This review systematically summarizes the current advances of dual-atom catalysts for ORR and OER electrocatalysis. The intrinsic advantages of dual-atom catalysts are first discussed following three proposed mechanisms focusing on the electronic structure of active sites. The structure-activity relationship is comprehensively discussed based on theoretical simulations and experimental results to afford a methodology for rational structural design. Following that, the current synthesis methods and a transverse performance com-parison are presented. Finally, several perspectives are highlighted for propelling the development of advanced dual-atom catalysts for ORR and OER electrocatalysis.