A facile approach is proposed to synthesize ultra-small Fe2N nanocrystals/MNGCS.
The Fe2N content and BET surface area of Fe2N/MNGCS can be adjusted by altering the acid etching time.
The optimized Fe2N/MNGCS catalyst demonstrates better ORR performance than 10 wt% Pt/C catalyst.
Such excellent performance is ascribed to the rational balance of the density of Fe–N/C active sites, and the transport of electron and electrolyte ion.