Tuning the Spin Polarization of Covalently Coupled CoFe₂O₄–Reduced Graphene Oxide through a Chiral Metal Support for Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction

We explore the enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity of covalently coupled CoFe 2 O 4 –reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by integrating it with chiral silver nanowires. Adopting chirality, more specifically, the chiral-induced spin-selectivity (CISS) effect, we demonstrate here the augmentation of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as well as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) kinetics, which are considered as the crucial processes for operating metal–air batteries. A detailed physical characterization reveals the integration of Ag nanowires with the CoFe 2 O 4 –reduced graphene oxide nanohybrid. Our study reveals that the enhancement of the electrocatalytic activity of the chiral catalyst arises from the spin-polarized charge transfer at the electrode–electrolyte interface. The experimental results manifest ∼2 times higher current density at 0.4 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) at 2000 rpm) for chiral catalysts in comparison with the achiral one during the oxygen reduction reaction studied employing a rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE). Similarly, the oxygen evolution from water oxidation employing a chiral catalyst also reveals superior catalytic activity with a lower overpotential. The detailed study elucidates the potential implication of spin-polarized electrocatalysts for enhancing the electrocatalytic efficiency for ORR and OER by exploiting the CISS effect, which is considered as the cutting-edge approach for the advancement of energy conversion and storage system.