Identifying the Zn–Co binary as a robust bifunctional electrocatalyst in oxygen reduction and evolution reactions via shifting the apexes of the volcano plot

By manipulation of electron-withdrawing functional groups, the position of ΔG*O is shifted in the volcano plot of ORR/OER equilibrium potentials versus the free energy change for *O intermediates. Bifunctional electrocatalysis for both oxygen reduction and evolution reactions is thus achieved via finite overlapping of ORR and OER volcano plot apexes for a Zn–Co binary catalyst.