Facile and scalable synthesis of coal tar-derived, nitrogen and sulfur-codoped carbon nanotubes with superior activity for O2 reduction by employing an evocating agent. Issue 45 (13th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Ziwu; Fu, Xin; Wei, Xianyong; Peng, Feng
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 3:Issue 45(2015)
• Page Start: 22723
• Page End: 22729
• Publication Date: 2015-10-13
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c5ta05633k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : Nitrogen and sulfur-codoped carbon nanotubes were synthesized with coal tar as nitrogen and sulfur precursors by employing the evocating agent of dicyandiamide. Resultant samples exhibited superior activities for the oxygen reduction reaction in both acidic and alkaline media. Abstract : Since heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials were proved to be one of the most promising alternatives to noble metal platinum-based cathode electrocatalysts in fuel cells over the past years, considerable efforts have been devoted to promoting their practical application. Although much progress has been made, the large-scale practical application of these heteroatom-doped carbon nanomaterials is presently inaccessible due to the lack of a facile synthesis method and low-cost heteroatom precursors with broad sources. Herein, we used the cost-effective, nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S)-containing coal tar which has an abundant supply of N and S precursors to synthesize value-added N and S-codoped carbon electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by employing the evocating agent of dicyandiamide (DICY). The results demonstrated that DICY could effectively help coal tar to form N and S-codoped carbon nanotubes (NS-CNTs) on the surface of CoCl2 nanoparticles. The as-synthesized NS-CNTs exhibited highly comparable ORR activities to commercial Pt–C catalysts in both acidic and alkaline media. This report not only provides a novel, facile and scalable approach for the preparation of low-cost CNT electrocatalysts with superior ORR activities but also offers a new and clean-utilizing path for the harmful N and S elements in coal tar and helps to reduce environmental pollution.