The
advancement in the design of non-platinum noble metal-based
oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts with pH universality
is crucial for the implementation of renewable energy devices in various
environments. In this study, we present a convenient bio-assisted
synthesis approach for the preparation of Fe–N–C catalysts,
Fe@G-800/100. The Fe–N4 active sites, distributed
atomically in the catalyst, confer remarkable ORR activity, leading
to half-wave potentials (E
1/2) of 0.91,
0.70, and 0.83 V vs RHE in alkaline, acidic, and neutral media, respectively.
These values surpass the performance of state-of-the-art pH-universal
ORR catalysts. We have also demonstrated the feasibility of constructing
a cathode for a liquid Zn-air battery (ZAB) by utilizing Fe@G-800/100,
with a rarely used PBS-derived neutral electrolyte. The resulting
neutral ZAB exhibits a high open-circuit voltage, excellent charge–discharge
cycling behavior, and significant specific capacity. Our findings
provide valuable observations on the potential of pH-universal Fe–N–C
catalysts and a roadmap for the design of neutral ZABs.