Al-coordination polymer-derived nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon microfibers as metal-free catalysts for oxygen electroreduction and acetalization reactions. Issue 47 (29th October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Han, Zhen; Yu, Youyi; Zhang, Yongbo; Dong, Bing; Kong, Aiguo; Shan, Yongkui
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 3:Issue 47(2015)
• Page Start: 23716
• Page End: 23724
• Publication Date: 2015-10-29
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c5ta05605e
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : Nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon microfibers were prepared by thermal conversion of Al-DTPA coordination polymers, which could be used as efficient oxygen electroreduction catalysts and to prepare porous solid acid catalysts for the acetalization reaction. Abstract : Nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon microfibers were facilely synthesized by the pyrolysis of coordination polymer microfibers of aluminium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Al-DTPA). Al-DTPA microfibers could be easily produced at a scale of over 0.25 kilograms by a homogeneous precipitation reaction of DTPA and aluminium nitrate in aqueous solution. After undergoing thermal conversion of Al-DTPA at the optimized temperatures and acid-leaching, the well-defined nitrogen-doped carbon microfibers were obtained at a scale of over 10 g in the laboratory. The interconnected nanoporous textures and plentiful nitrogen-doped functional sites endow such microfibers with not only efficient catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte, but also superior durability and methanol-tolerance during ORR. Moreover, Al-DTPA microfibers could be also transferred into carbon-based nanoporous solid acids by the sulfuric acid-solvothermal treatment. Plentiful –SO3 H functional groups were grafted on the surfaces of nanoporous nitrogen-dopped carbon microfibers (protonic acid amount, 1.8 mmol g −1 ). They served as a highly efficient and recyclable solid acid catalyst for the acetalization of benzaldehyde and ethylene glycol in a yield of about 99.0 at%. The thermal conversion of Al-coordination polymers might be a new practically feasible technique for the preparation of functional nanoporous nitrogen-doped carbon microfibers.