Synergistic Effects in Condensed DNA Framework‐Mediated Synthesis of Amorphous Nanoalloys for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution

Noble metal electrocatalysts exhibit excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity but are limited by high cost and scarcity. Amorphous nanoalloys (ANAs) offer promising alternatives, yet constructing amorphous structures at the nanoscale remains challenging. Here, we report a strategy for synthesizing FeCoNi ANAs using a condensed DNA framework (CDF) as a confined growth template. Fish sperm DNA undergoes phase separation with Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , and Ni 2+ ions to form compartmentalized structures with intrinsic self‐confinement, which suppress atomic diffusion and promote amorphization. The DNA framework further improves nanoparticle dispersibility and electrode adhesion, enabling binder‐free electrode integration. As a result, FeCoNi ANAs achieve outstanding OER activity, achieving an overpotential of only 280 mV at 10 mA cm −2 and a Tafel slope of 44.1 mV dec −1 , outperforming commercial RuO 2 . Mechanistic studies reveal that the DNA framework facilitates proton transfer and modulates intermediate adsorption, thereby enabling OER to proceed through both the adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) and the lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM). This work presents an effective strategy for the design of high‐performance amorphous nanoalloy electrocatalysts.

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Publication Details

Journal
Small Structures
Published
2025-11-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202500683
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.36

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article

Synergistic Effects in Condensed DNA Framework‐Mediated Synthesis of Amorphous Nanoalloys for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution

Jianbang Wang, Huajie Liu, Zhuang Cai, Rui Gao
1 citations
Small Structures
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
0.36
article

Synergistic Effects in Condensed DNA Framework‐Mediated Synthesis of Amorphous Nanoalloys for Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution

Jianbang Wang, Huajie Liu, Zhuang Cai, Rui Gao
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Noble metal electrocatalysts exhibit excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity but are limited by high cost and scarcity. Amorphous nanoalloys (ANAs) offer promising alternatives, yet constructing amorphous structures at the nanoscale remains challenging. Here, we report a strategy for synthesizing FeCoNi ANAs using a condensed DNA framework (CDF) as a confined growth template. Fish sperm DNA undergoes phase separation with Fe 2+ , Co 2+ , and Ni 2+ ions to form compartmentalized structures with intrinsic self‐confinement, which suppress atomic diffusion and promote amorphization. The DNA framework further improves nanoparticle dispersibility and electrode adhesion, enabling binder‐free electrode integration. As a result, FeCoNi ANAs achieve outstanding OER activity, achieving an overpotential of only 280 mV at 10 mA cm −2 and a Tafel slope of 44.1 mV dec −1 , outperforming commercial RuO 2 . Mechanistic studies reveal that the DNA framework facilitates proton transfer and modulates intermediate adsorption, thereby enabling OER to proceed through both the adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) and the lattice oxygen mechanism (LOM). This work presents an effective strategy for the design of high‐performance amorphous nanoalloy electrocatalysts.

Small StructuresVol. 7(1)
Tongji University (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
Openalex Percentile: Top 36%
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
0.36
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