Currently, Fe-N-C materials are considered to be among the most important oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts, because they are potential substitutes for Pt-based catalysts and are therefore promising in the development of non-noble metal-based catalysts. However, challenges such as electron transfer kinetics still exist and need to be improved upon. From a chemical stand point, improvements can be made through the better understanding of mechanisms in Fe-N-C-based ORR catalysis along with a deeper understanding of the chemical origin of active sites on Fe-N-C catalyst surfaces. Based on these, this comprehensive review will focus on the energy conversion, transformation kinetics and electron transfer of the ORR process as catalyzed by Fe-N-C catalysts. And by taking these and other relevant analytical results for Fe-N-C materials into consideration, primary strategies in the improvement in Fe-N-C catalyst activity will be presented.

Full-text：https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s41918-019-00030-w/fulltext.html