@article{Jing2026, 
author = {Chuan Jing and Ziyang Guo and Yujia Yao and Runjing Xu and Dengfeng Li and Kailin Li and Yuxin Zhang},
title = {Curvature-dominated microenvironment modulation enables efficient electrocatalytic oxygen reduction},
year = {2026},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {19},
number = {1},
pages = {94908197},
keywords = {oxygen reduction reaction, curvature, microenvironment regulation, W2N cluster, helical hollow carbon nanotube},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.26599/NR.2025.94908197},
doi = {10.26599/NR.2025.94908197},
abstract = {The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) critical for electrochemical energy conversion systems suffers from sluggish kinetics and high overpotentials that hinder the efficiency of these technologies. Herein, a curvature-dominated microenvironment modulation strategy is demonstrated to enhance ORR performance via engineering a helical hollow carbon nanotube with embedded sub-nanometer tungsten nitride (W2N) clusters. This architecture yields optimized electrostatic field distributions and reduced d-band center of W2N, thereby promoting the enrichment of OH−, the adsorption of oxygen, and the desorption of oxygen intermediates ( ∗OH). The catalyst shows remarkable ORR activity with a high onset potential of 1.00 V and a half-wave potential of 0.89 V, outperforming both Pt/C and other W2N-based catalysts. Theoretical calculations verify that the curved support enhances the electron delocalization within the W2N clusters, regulating the interaction between the catalyst and reactants. Our findings establish a general design principle of curvature-induced microenvironment modulation and offer a new pathway toward designing efficient electrocatalysts for sustainable energy storage applications.}
}