Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity Research Articles

Rutile-structured high-entropy oxyfluorides: A platform for oxygen evolution catalysis

High-entropy (HE) design provides ample opportunities for accessing catalysts with unique physiochemical properties for advanced energy and environmental applications. Although a variety of multi-cationic high-entropy materials (HEMs) have been identified, HEMs consisted of multiple cationic and anionic elements are still limited. Herein, we present the design and synthesis of a series of rutile-structured high-entropy oxyfluorides (HEOFs), including [RuO2]x[MgMnZnCoF2]y, [MnO2]x[MgMnZnCoF2]y, [MoO2]x[MgMnZnCoF2]y, [SnO2]x[MgMnZnCoF2]y and [TiO2]x[MgMnZnCoF2]y (x:y = 3:1, 2:1, 1:1). All the HEOFs are obtained through mechanochemical alloying rutile-structured oxide and fluoride precursors and the HEOFs inherit the crystal structures of the skeleton oxides. Moreover, the HEOFs exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity than the corresponding one-element precursors. Typically, the best-performed HEOF [RuO2]3[MgMnZnCoF2]1 catalyst requires an overpotential of 240 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm−2, which is lower than RuO2 (291 mV). More impressively, the specific mass activity of [RuO2]3[MgMnZnCoF2]1 is 537.1 A gRu−1 at 1.55 V (vs RHE), which is ca. 7.6 times that of RuO2 (70.5 A gRu−1). The enhanced electrocatalytic OER performance obtained on [RuO2]3[MgMnZnCoF2]1 is ascribed to the contribution of the different cationic and anionic elements that modulates the electronic structures of the pristine RuO2, which facilitates efficient OER kinetics. This work demonstrates the efficacy of high-entropy design towards approaching excellent catalysts for enhanced electrocatalysis.

Carbon Fiber with Superhydrophilic Interface as Metal-free Air Electrode for All-Solid-State Zn-air Batteries

The burgeoning interest in all-solid-state Zn-air batteries as next-generation power sources for portable electronics is conspicuous. A pivotal aspect of their advancement lies in developing cost-effective, metal-free air electrodes with high-activity bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. This study introduces a superhydrophilic carbon fiber modified with oxygen functional groups (CF-O), achieved through a straightforward one-step activation treatment. Comparative analyses reveal that the CF-O electrode surpasses pristine CF in oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (OER and ORR) activity due to enhanced active sites and expedited ion transport. Notably, the OER/ORR performance depends on the type and quantity of oxygen functional groups. The optimal CF-O electrode displays an OER overpotential of 365.6 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and an ORR peak potential of 0.683 V. Utilizing the CF-O sample as the air electrode in all-solid-state Zn-air batteries yields an open-circuit voltage of 1.28 V and a peak volume power density of 82.8 mW cm-3. Furthermore, endurance testing reveals a charge/discharge voltage gap of 1.07 V at a current density of 1.0 mA cm-2 after 30 cycles. This facile and economical fabrication approach for metal-free air electrodes holds promise for advancing high-performance metal-air batteries compared to various existing techniques.

Different FeS Concentrations for Encapsulating ZIF-67 Nanomaterials toward the Enhanced Oxidation Evolution Reaction.

Due to the slow kinetic nature of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the development of electrocatalysts with high efficiency, stability, and economy for oxygen production using metal-organic framework (MOF) materials is still a challenging research topic. In this work, we chose the different concentrations of FeS adsorption to encapsulate metal cobalt-based ZIF-67 MOF for preparing a series of electrocatalysts (ZIF1FeSx, x = 0.2, 0.5, 0.75, and 1), which were mainly explored for the electrocatalytic OER. Among them, ZIF1FeS0.5 has excellent electrocatalytic activity for OER, which can be driven by low overpotentials of 276 and 349 mV at 10 and 50 mA cm-2 current densities, and more than 92% of the initial overpotential can be maintained after 100 h of continuous OER at 10 mA cm-2 current density. This is mainly due to the electronic interactions between the cobalt-based MOF and the FeS, which shift the electronic state of the active metal center to a higher valence state for increasing the number of active sites and enhancing the efficiency of electron transfer to facilitate the OER course. This work may contribute to the design of effective catalysts for the OER during the electrolysis of alkaline solutions.

Boosting OER activity of Fe-N Moieties via Ni induced d-Orbital Tailoring for durable rechargeable Zn-Air batteries

Fe-N-C-based catalysts are considered the most promising Pt candidates due to their high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and low cost, whereas their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance is extremely poor due to the sluggish O-O coupling process, which hampers the practical application of rechargeable zinc-air batteries. Here, we in situ infiltrate Ni and Fe ions into metal triazolidine (MET)-derived N-doped porous carbon via a microporous confinement-pyrolysis strategy to enhance the OER activity of the Fe-N sites. The introduction of Ni induced the electronic delocalization of Fe atoms at the Fe-N center, which lowered the adsorption energy barriers for the decisive velocity step (O*→OOH*), thus accelerating the O-O bond coupling and OER kinetics. In addition, the preferential formation of NiOOH at high OER potentials ensures the catalytic stability of zinc-air batteries by trapping Fe ions escaping from carbon corrosion to form FeOOH. The optimized catalyst (FeNi-NC) has an overpotential of only 351 mV at a current density of 50 mA cm−2 under alkaline conditions. More importantly, the assembled ZABs can be stably charged and discharged for more than 500 h at 10 mA cm−2, demonstrating excellent battery charging and discharging stability. This work shows the great potential of strong electronic interactions between polymetals to improve Fe-N-C catalysts.

Ruthenium Single-Atom Modulated Protonated Iridium Oxide for Acidic Water Oxidation in Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysers.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysers promise to usher in a new era of clean energy, but they remain a formidable obstacle in designing active and durable electrocatalysts for the acidic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, a protonated iridium oxide embedded with single-atom dispersed ruthenium atoms (H3.8Ir1- xRuxO4) that demonstrates exceptional activity and stability in acidic water oxidation is introduced. The single Ru dopants favorably induce localized oxygen vacancies in the Ir─O lattice, synergistically strengthening the adsorption of OOH* intermediates and enhancing the intrinsic OER activity. In addition, the preferential oxidation of Ru and the electronegativity of the oxygen vacancies significantly stabilize the Ir─O active sites, improving the OER stability. Consequently, the H3.8Ir1─ xRuxO4 catalyst shows an overpotential of 255mV at 10mA cm-2 and displays exceptional catalytic endurance in acidic electrolytes, surpassing 1100 h, representing a remarkable one-order-of-magnitude increase in stability compared to that of pristine H3.8IrO4. A proton exchange membrane electrolyser utilizing the H3.8Ir1- xRuxO4 catalyst as an anode exhibits stable performance for more than 1280 h under a high current density of 2 A cm-2.

Rational construction of N-containing carbon sheets atomically doped NiP-CoP nanohybrid electrocatalysts for enhanced green hydrogen and oxygen production

The pursuit of sustainable energy production has directed rigorous research in the field of electrocatalysis, particularly for water electrolysis (i.e., hydrogen (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER)). This study discloses the rational synthesis of N-containing carbon sheets atomically doped NiP-CoP nanohybrid (NiP-CoP/NCS) via precipitation/calcination. The fabrication method tailored the physicochemical merits for collective contribution to improved green hydrogen and oxygen, elucidated by surface/bulk characterization and theoretical calculations. Thus, the NiP-CoP/NCS had improved HER activity at lower overpotential (ƞ10 = 197.7/274.6 mV), higher exchange current density (jo = 0.71/0.67 mA/cm2), turnover frequency (TOF = 2.63/1.47 s-1), H2 production rate (3601.63/2519.12 µmol/g/h) and superior stability after 24 h in acid/alkaline media, than NiP/NCS and CoP/NCS. Moreover, NiP-CoP/NCS delivered impressive OER activity at reduced ƞ10 (309.1 mV), and Tafel slope (ba = 58.9 ± 3.0 mV/dec), but higher TOF (3.67 s-1) and O2 production rate (3643.96 µmol/g/h) relative to NiP/NCS and CoP/NCS, besides higher stability for 24 h. These were further proved by theoretical calculations. This work indicates a deeper understanding of the fabrication methods of making efficient electrocatalysts for green and sustainable energy conversion.

Amorphous/crystalline Ni-Fe based electrodes with rich oxygen vacancies enable highly active oxygen evolution in seawater electrolysis

To realize large-scale production of hydrogen through seawater electrolysis, it is highly crucial to engineer high-activity and robustly stable catalytic materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, a facile etching growth strategy based on Ni foam (NF) is employed to fabricate an amorphous/crystalline Ni-Fe based electrode with rich oxygen vacancies as a promising OER electrocatalyst (a/c-NiFeOxHy@NF). Of note, the introduction of Fe induces the generation of plentiful Ni(Fe)OOH species, which can contribute to the remarkable OER behavior. Profiting from the favorable geometric microstructure of ultrathin nanosheets coupled with 3D open-pore architecture and regulated electronic state by increased oxygen vacancies and abundant crystalline-amorphous boundaries, the resulting a/c-NiFeOxHy@NF displays prominent electrocatalytic OER activity in pure alkaline solution and seawater, achieving impressive overpotentials of only 219 and 233 mV to reach 100 mA cm−2, respectively. More significantly, the electrode can keep stable operation without obvious attenuation for over 1200 h at 100 mA cm−2, demonstrating its exceptional corrosion resistance. Such robustness of this electrode surpasses those of almost all reported OER electrocatalysts. Furthermore, in a self-assembled seawater electrolyzer with a/c-NiFeOxHy@NF as the anode and l-RuP@NF as the cathode, a large current density of 500 mA cm−2 is easily achieved at the voltage of 1.795 V at 65 °C. The work offers a novel paradigm for constructing low-cost, high-efficiency, and ultra-stable OER catalysts, which shows huge promise for industrial seawater electrolysis applications.

Designing and structuring MnO2 coating compositions for efficient and clean zinc electrowinning production

Lead-silver (Pb-Ag) anodes in the zinc electrolysis have resulted in significant environmental pollution and waste of valuable resources due to the influence of the lead corrosion reaction (LCR). Herein, the composition and interfacial structure of manganese dioxide (MnO2) coatings were designed and regulated by controlling the electrodeposition nucleation process using a Pb-Ag anode as the substrate. MnO2 coatings with a three-dimensional spherical bicrystalline-phase (β/γ) hydrophilic structure were synthesized. The introduction of γ-MnO2 not only increased the hydrophilicity of the coating, but also increased the content of the active substances Mn3+ and Oabs, thus improving the intrinsic OER activity of the MnO2 anode. Furthermore, density functional calculations have demonstrated that γ-MnO2 reduces the energy barrier of the determining step and increases the adsorption capacity of OH*, which is conducive to promoting the OER process. It was also demonstrated that the MnO2-coated anode could suppress the generation of Pb4+, thus inhibit the LCR process. Long-term electrolysis experiments have shown that the β/γ-MnO2 composite phase-coated anode can not only improve the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) rate and reduce energy consumption, but also effectively mitigate the generation of lead pollution and further reduce the impurity content of zinc products. This approach can simultaneously achieve economic benefits and environmental protection.

Adaptive Active Site Turning for Superior OER and UOR on Ir‐Ni3N Catalyst

AbstractRenewable energy‐based electrocatalytic oxidation for hydrogen production in complex reaction environments such as industrial wastewater and human urine demands high‐performing catalysts to conduct switchable urea oxidation reactions (UOR) and traditional oxygen evolution reactions (OER). Here, a novel bifunctional nanosheet electrocatalyst is reported, Ir‐Ni3N, which exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity for both OER and UOR under alkaline conditions. Specifically, the overpotentials at 100 mA cm−2 for OER and UOR are 1.59 and 1.37 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) respectively, which are superior to most of the recently reported nickel‐based catalysts. Accordingly, a comprehensive mechanism for competitive catalytic activities of Ni and Ir sites in Ir‐Ni3N and the switch between OER and UOR that guarantees consistent hydrogen production is proposed. This study provides a feasible strategy for continuous hydrogen production aided by reagent‐adaptive electrocatalysts in urea‐containing wastewater.

Bifunctional heterostructured nitrogen-doped carbon-layer-loaded NiSe2-FeSe2 electrocatalyst for efficient water splitting

Developing high-performance, eco-friendly bifunctional electrocatalysts is crucial to popularizing water electrolysis for hydrogen production, but it still presents major challenges. Here, we develop a composite material with NiSe2-FeSe2 heterostructure loaded on N-doped carbon layers by utilizing the metal-organic framework as a sacrificial template (NiSe2-FeSe2/NC). According to microstructural studies, direct contact between NiSe2 and FeSe2 induces charge transfer and enhances conductivity, while sensible arraying of NiSe2-FeSe2/NC nanosheets fully exposes active sites and protects catalysts from violent reaction processes. The NiSe2-FeSe2/NC heterostructured catalysts show excellent bifunctional catalytic activity for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, with overpotentials of 54 and 232 mV at 10 mA cm−2, respectively. Moreover, NiSe2-FeSe2/NC also retains superiority in a two-electrode system, needing lower voltage to drive the overall water splitting at 10 mA cm−2 (1.53 V) than Pt/C||RuO2 as well as long-term stability. This work introduces a novel concept for developing state-of-the-art non-noble metal catalysts for hydrogen production and new insights into interface engineering.

Tailoring Ni-Fe-B Electronic Effects in Layered Double Hydroxides for Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Activity.

NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are state-of-the-art catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media, yet they still face significant overpotentials. Here, quantitative boron (B) doping is introduced in NiFe LDHs (ranging from 0% to 20.3%) to effectively tailor the Ni-Fe-B electronic interactions for enhanced OER performance. The co-hydrolysis synthesis approach synchronizes the hydrolysis rates of Ni and Fe precursors with the formation rate of B─O─M (M: Ni, Fe) bonds, ensuring precise B doping into the NiFe LDHs. It is demonstrated that B, as an electron-deficient element, acts as an "electron sink" at doping levels from 0% to 13.5%, facilitating the transition of Ni2+ to the active Ni3+δ, thereby accelerating OER kinetics. However, excessive B doping (13.5-20.3%) effectively generates oxygen vacancies in the LDHs, which increases electron density at Ni2+ sites and hinders their transition to Ni3+δ, thereby reducing OER activity. Optimal OER performance is achieved at a B doping level of 13.5%, with an overpotential of only 208mV to reach a current density of 500mA cm-2, placing it among the most effective OER catalysts to date. This Ni-Fe-B electronic engineering opens new avenues for developing highly efficient anode catalysts for water-splitting hydrogen production.

Enhanced Magnetic Heating for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction by Pinning Effect of Ferromagnetic/Antiferromagnetic Coupling.

The magnetic heating effect under alternating magnetic fields (AMFs) has recently gained attention in catalysis due to its potential to greatly boost catalytic activities by providing localized heating around magnetic nanoparticles. However, nanoparticles still suffer from low magnetic heating efficiency due to their low magnetic anisotropy and thermal fluctuation, which is a key barrier in the wide application of AMF-assisted catalysis. Herein, by introducing the pinning effect of ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (FM/AFM) coupling, NiO/NiOOH (AFM/FM) core-shell nanoparticles exhibit significantly enhanced oxygen evolution reaction activity and resistance to thermal fluctuations under AMF, compared to NiOOH nanoparticles. Notably, magnetized NiO/NiOOH nanoparticles provide an overpotential of 186 mV at 10 mA cm-2, outperforming unmagnetized ones (218 mV) under the same conditions, further emphasizing the prominent role of the pinning effect in enhanced magnetic heating efficiency. This work provides valuable inspiration to design advanced magnetic catalysts and meet the challenge of the development of AMF-assisted catalysis.

Defects trigger redox reactivities between metal and lattice oxygen in high-entropy layered double hydroxide for boosting oxygen evolution in alkaline

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode undergoes a sluggish multi-step process, thereby impeding overall water splitting. As the classical adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) involves multiple oxygen-containing intermediates, such as *OH, *O and *OOH, breaking the linear relationship of the adsorption energies between *OH and *OOH is the key to efficient oxygen evolution. Herein, we report a high-entropy FeCoNiAlZn layered double hydroxide decorated with defects (E-FeCoNiAlZn LDH) for boosting oxygen evolution in alkaline. The product exhibits high OER activity with a low overpotential of 220 at 10 mA cm−2 and outstanding stability with negligible decline after 100 h operation. The defects in E-FeCoNiAlZn LDH not only enhance the adsorption of *OH by metal sites but also foster the release of oxygen from lattice, which triggers the coupled oxygen evolution mechanism (COM). This mechanism has only *OH and *OO intermediates, perfectly avoiding the obstacles of linear relationship between *OH and *OOH. Theoretical calculations demonstrate that the introduction of defects enhances the adsorption of *OH due to the presence of unsaturated bonds. Additionally, it is evidence that the O 2p band is elevated, leading to a weakening of the metal-O bond and a reduction of the energy barrier for OO coupling.

Harnessing dysprosium telluride/GPE as an effective electrode for energy storage and conversion

Hydrogen stands out as a clean alternative to fossil fuels, and its production via water electrolysis is promising, although the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) pose a significant challenge. Alongside energy conversion, the quest for effective energy storage remains critical. This study explores the potential of dysprosium telluride (Dy2Te3) as a highly efficient catalyst for OER and a supercapacitor electrode. The hydrothermally synthesized Dy2Te3 exhibits exceptional OER activity, characterized by an overpotential of 294 mV at 1.48 V vs. RHE, a low Tafel slope of 48 mV dec−1, and minimal interfacial resistance of 13 Ω. In a 1.0 M KOH solution, Dy2Te3 nanoparticles demonstrate outstanding supercapacitor performance, achieving a power density of 283.5 W kg−1, specific capacitance of 645.33 F g−1, and energy density of 22.8 Wh kg−1 at 1 A g−1. The high performance is attributed to enhanced electrical conductivity and a low impedance of 0.352 Ω in a three-electrode system. In a practical two-electrode configuration, Dy2Te3 nanoparticles deliver a specific capacitance of 479 F g−1, energy density of 94 Wh kg−1, and power density of 0.32 kW kg−1, with a reduced interfacial resistance of 1.03 Ω. These results underscore the potential of Dy2Te3 as a viable electrode material for both supercapacitors and water splitting, offering valuable insights into the application of lanthanide-based metal chalcogenides in energy technologies.

Carbon cloth-based meteorite-like Co–CuS/MoS2 heterostructure for efficient water electrolysis

Developing low-cost, high-efficiency electrocatalysts is critically important for efficient hydrogen production. In this study, a novel electrocatalyst, Co–CuS/MoS2 nanocomposite, was successfully synthesized via ion exchange on carbon cloth using Evans-Showell type polyoxometalate (NH4)6 [Co2Mo10O38H4]·11H2O (Co2Mo10) as a precursor and thiourea in a hydrothermal reaction. The optimized Co–CuS/MoS2 exhibited outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities, with overpotentials of 90 mV and 270 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, respectively, and demonstrated long-term stability in alkaline electrolytes. The superior performance of this catalyst is attributed to the high charge transfer rates between MoS2 and CuS, abundant heterostructure interfaces, and efficient diffusion channels. This study provides a new design strategy for exploring efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts.

Quaternary layered double hydroxides from spent battery as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction

Quaternary layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are emerging as effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for alkaline water splitting. In this work, NiCoMnFe-LDH has been successfully fabricated using leachate from recycled battery cathodes, demonstrating a sustainable approach to resource utilization. By incorporating varying amounts of Vulcan XC72 carbon as a support, we improved the conductivity of the NiCoMnFe-LDH. Our results indicate that the addition of Vulcan XC72 enhances the electrocatalytic performance of the nanocomposites. Notably, the NiCoMnFe-LDH/C-50 sample exhibited superior OER activity, with an overpotential of 329 ± 10 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻2 and stable performance over 15 h. Detailed characterization confirmed the advantages of the carbon support in improving both the structural stability and catalytic efficiency. This work may pave the way to a sustainable method for repurposing spent battery cathodes, advancing the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly electrocatalysts for clean energy applications.

Nanostructured NiMoO4 as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Electrocatalysts derived from earth-abundant transition metals offer a viable alternative to noble metals for water electrolysis, yet they often suffer from poor catalytic behaviour and limited lifespan. In this study, nanostructured nickel molybdate on nickel foam (NiMoO4/NF) were synthesized via a straightforward hydrothermal process at three different durations (6, 12, and 24 h) to assess their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. The electrodes, specifically NiMoO4-6h, NiMoO4-12h, and NiMoO4-24h, demonstrated significant OER activity in 1.0 M KOH solution, achieving overpotentials of 315 mV, 290 mV and 320 mV for respectively. Notably, the NiMoO4-12h electrode showed an exceptional stability, with only a 1.28% activity decrease after 200 hours at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. This study presents a novel approach to enhancing the electrocatalytic efficiency of these catalysts through optimizing their electrical conductivity, active surface sites, and surface reaction dynamics.

Nanostructured NiMoO4 as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Electrocatalysts derived from earth-abundant transition metals offer a viable alternative to noble metals for water electrolysis, yet they often suffer from poor catalytic behaviour and limited lifespan. In this study, nanostructured nickel molybdate on nickel foam (NiMoO4/NF) were synthesized via a straightforward hydrothermal process at three different durations (6, 12, and 24 h) to assess their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. The electrodes, specifically NiMoO4-6h, NiMoO4-12h, and NiMoO4-24h, demonstrated significant OER activity in 1.0 M KOH solution, achieving overpotentials of 315 mV, 290 mV and 320 mV for respectively. Notably, the NiMoO4-12h electrode showed an exceptional stability, with only a 1.28% activity decrease after 200 hours at a current density of 10 mA cm-2. This study presents a novel approach to enhancing the electrocatalytic efficiency of these catalysts through optimizing their electrical conductivity, active surface sites, and surface reaction dynamics.

Design and Optimization of Nanoporous Materials as Catalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction—A Review

With the growing demand for new energy sources, electrochemical water splitting for hydrogen production is a technology that must be vigorously promoted. Therefore, to improve the efficiency of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the anode, high-performance OER catalysts are essential. Given their advantages in electrocatalysis, nanoporous materials have garnered considerable attention in previous studies for OER applications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of various strategies to optimize active site utilization in nanoporous materials. These strategies include regulating pore size and porosity, constructing hierarchical nanoporous structures, and enhancing material conductivity. Additionally, it covers approaches to boost the intrinsic OER activity of nanoporous materials, such as tuning the composition of anions and cations, creating vacancies, constructing interfaces, and forming boundary active sites. While nanoporous materials offer significant potential for advancing OER, challenges remain, including difficulties in quantifying activity within nanopores, the unclear impact of nanoporous material morphology, challenges in accessing nanopore interiors with in situ techniques, and a lack of theoretical calculations on pore structure. However, these challenges also present opportunities, and we hope this review provides a fresh perspective to inspire future research.

Steering intermediates coverage of W-doped Fe3N for efficient kinetic promotion in water splitting by lattice and electronic configuration engineering

The development of catalysts that promote kinetic processes represents a significant frontier in the field of catalyst design. Here, a facile strategy is employed to fabricate W-Fe3N@NC. The incorporation of W results in effective lattice and electronic configuration engineering, providing a favorable environment for the in-situ formation of high-valent Fe4+ and the lattice contraction. The kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are fully improved by steering the intermediate coverages and binding energies. W-Fe3N@NC exhibits superior HER performance at universal pH range and a significantly enhanced alkaline OER performance. Density functional theory (DFT) analysis verifies the lattice and electronic engineering and indicates that the higher valence state and weakened adsorption of the intermediates boost the activity of OER and HER. This study offers new insights into effective electrocatalyst design through lattice and electronic engineering, and provides a basis for further exploration of the kinetic promotion mechanism of catalysts.