Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a determining role in electrochemical energy conversion devices, but challenges remain due to the lack of effective low-cost electrocatalysts and insufficient understanding about sluggish reaction kinetics. Distinguish from complex nano-structuring, this work focuses on the spin-related charge transfer and orbital interaction between catalysts and intermediates to accelerate catalytic reaction kinetics. Herein, we propose a simple magnetic-stimulation approach to rearrange spin electron occupation in noble-metal-free metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with a feature of thermal-differentiated superlattice, in which the localized magnetic heating in periodic spatial distribution makes the spin flip occur at particular active sites, demonstrating a spin-dependent reaction pathway. As a result, the spin-rearranged Co0.8Mn0.2 MOF displays mass activities of 3514.7 A gmetal−1 with an overpotential of ~0.27 V, which is 21.1 times that of pristine MOF. Our findings provide a new paradigm for designing spin electrocatalysis and steering reaction kinetics.
While acidic oxygen evolution reaction plays a critical role in electrochemical energy conversion devices, the sluggish reaction kinetics and poor stability in acidic electrolyte challenges materials development. Unlike traditional nano-structuring approaches, this work focuses on the structural symmetry breaking to rearrange spin electron occupation and optimize spin-dependent orbital interaction to alter charge transfer between catalysts and reactants. Herein, we propose an atomic half-disordering strategy in multistage-hybridized BixEr2-xRu2O7 pyrochlores to reconfigure orbital degeneracy and spin-related electron occupation. This strategy involves controlling the bonding interaction of Bi-6s lone pair electrons, in which partial atom rearrangement makes the active sites transform into asymmetric high-spin states from symmetric low-spin states. As a result, the half-disordered BixEr2-xRu2O7 pyrochlores demonstrate an overpotential of ~0.18 V at 10 mA cm−2 accompanied with excellent stability of 100 h in acidic electrolyte. Our findings not only provide a strategy for designing atom-disorder-related catalysts, but also provides a deeper understanding of the spin-related acidic oxygen evolution reaction kinetics.