Manganous oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in few-layer carbon as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in alkaline media. Issue 30 (12th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cheng, Han; Xu, Kun; Xing, Lili; Liu, Si; Gong, Yue; Gu, Lin; Zhang, Lidong; Wu, Changzheng
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 4:Issue 30(2016)
• Page Start: 11775
• Page End: 11781
• Publication Date: 2016-07-12
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ta02846b
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : Manganous oxide nanoparticles encapsulated in few-layer carbon were reported as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction in alkaline media. Abstract : To replace Pt-based catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in energy conversion and storage systems, it is highly desirable to explore low-cost and high-performance nonprecious metal catalysts. Herein, we report a novel Mn-based catalytic system for the ORR which consists of MnO nanoparticles encapsulated in mesoporous few-layer carbon (MnO@FLC). Using density functional theory (DFT), we disclose that the few-layer carbon could be activated by the encapsulated MnO nanoparticles and further become active sites for the ORR process. The MnO@FLC electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding ORR activity (an onset potential of −0.005 V vs. Ag/AgCl, a half-wave potential of −0.153 V and a limiting current density of −5.38 mA cm −2 ), which are among the best performances reported to date for Mn-based ORR electrocatalysts and highly comparable to those of state-of-the-art Pt/C catalysts in alkaline media. Our work suggests that metal oxides encapsulated in few-layer carbon could serve as efficient ORR electrocatalysts with decent performance.