• • Co-BCN-950 achieves a peak power density of 216 mW cm-2 in zinc-air batteries, surpassing commercial Pt/C (151 mW cm-2) by 43%, directly addressing the power output limitation that hinders ZAB commercialization.
• • The catalyst exhibits an open-circuit voltage of 1.43 V and a specific capacity of 790 mAh g-1, metrics that exceed typical Pt/C-based ZABs and indicate potential for high-energy-density applications.
• • Asymmetric Co-N3B-O coordination mitigates scaling-relation constraints among ORR intermediates, as evidenced by the enhanced kinetics and stabilization of *OOH via hydrogen bonding, which is critical for reducing overpotentials in practical devices.
• • The mild annealing synthesis route avoids Fenton-like reactions associated with Fe-N-C catalysts, offering a chemically robust alternative that could extend operational lifetime in rechargeable ZABs, though long-term degradation rates require further quantification.