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DFT insights on iron-based layered perovskites as oxygen catalysts
Journal of Materiomics 2026, 12(2)
Published: 26 September 2025
Abstract Collect

Density Functional Theory (DFT)-derived electronic descriptors are key to accelerating the design of effective ORR/OER catalysts. The O 2p-band center, in particular, is a robust descriptor of catalytic activity in perovskite oxides. This study examines the O 2p-band center in Fe4+ perovskite-type layered oxides, focusing on the Ruddlesden Popper (RP) phases Sr2FeO4 and Sr3Fe2O7, as well as the high-Tc superconductor YSr2Cu2FeO8. The analysis emphasizes trends driven by compositional modifications. The O 2p-band centers of Sr2–2xLa2xFeO4 and Sr3–3xLa3xFe2O7 (0 < x < 1) correlate linearly with the Fe oxidation state, and span a wide energy range (−1.2 eV to −4.7 eV with PBE+U; −1.9 eV to −4.7 eV with SCAN). Partial substitution of Fe with 3d transition metals (TM) in Sr2Fe7/8xM1/8O4 shifts the O 2p band center, with the more electronegative TMs bringing it closer to the Fermi level. RP–Sr2FeO4 exhibits remarkable tunability of the O 2p-band center, enabling the compositionally driven design of oxygen catalysts with potentially improved activity–stability balance. In contrast, YSr2Cu2FeO7+δ (0 < δ < 1) shows no correlation between the O 2p-band center and Fe oxidation states, likely due to a change in Fe coordination from octahedral (δ = 1) to tetrahedral (δ = 0). The O 2p-center values (−0.9 eV to −1.3 eV with PBE+U; −1.5 eV to −2 eV with SCAN) suggest that YSr2Cu2FeO7+δ could potentially catalyze the ORR/OER, though stability over operation time remains a challenge.

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