Bioinspired molecular catalysts with a unique tricopper architecture for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction.

In situ growth of intertwined trinuclear copper complexes (nCu 3 ) on a cellulose-derived carbon support (CMC) produced a high-performance electrocatalyst (CMC-nCu 3 ) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which demonstrated superior performance in zinc-air batteries compared to a commercial Pt/C catalyst. This work highlights the importance of copper-based molecular catalysts with rich and intertwined tricopper structures for boosting both ORR activity and stability.