Magnetic Properties and Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Performance of a Medium-Entropy Metal Nitride

The advancement of highly efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for advancing sustainable hydrogen energy technologies. In this study, we synthesized a novel medium-entropy metal nitride (MEMN), FeCoNiZnN, with an antiperovskite structure through a solid-phase reaction method. FeCoNiZnN displays ferromagnetism above 350 K and demonstrates exceptional OER performance with a specific activity 141 times greater than that of Co 3 ZnN, with an overpotential of only 301 mV at 10 mA cm –2, comparable to that of commercial RuO 2 catalysts, and exhibits superior durability. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the enhanced catalytic performance is due to optimized electronic properties and improved d -band centers, which enhance the adsorption of oxygen intermediates and reduce the free energy barriers at the rate-determining step. This study highlights the potential of MEMNs in developing advanced magnetic materials and novel electrocatalysts.