Nitrogen-doped cobalt phosphate@nanocarbon hybrids for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen reduction. Issue 8 (18th July 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, Tianhua; Du, Yonghua; Yin, Shengming; Tian, Xuezeng; Yang, Hongbin; Wang, Xin; Liu, Bin; Zheng, Haimei; Qiao, Shizhang; Xu, Rong
• Is Part Of: Energy & environmental science. Volume 9:Issue 8(2016)
• Page Start: 2563
• Page End: 2570
• Publication Date: 2016-07-18
• Subjects: Energy conversion -- Periodicals; Fuel switching -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Periodicals; Environmental chemistry -- Periodicals; 333.79
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ee01297c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1754-5692

Abstract

Abstract : A nitrogen-doped Co3 (PO4 )2 @nanocarbon hybrid was developed as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst and exhibits outstanding catalytic performance with high activity, long-term stability and a four-electron transfer pathway. Abstract : The development of efficient non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is still highly desirable before non-noble metal catalysts can replace platinum catalysts. Herein, we have synthesized a new type of ORR catalyst, Co3 (PO4 )2 C-N/rGOA, containing N-coordinated cobalt phosphate, through the thermal treatment of a phosphonate-based metal–organic framework (MOF). Co3 (PO4 )2 C-N/rGOA exhibits not only a comparable onset potential and half-wave potential but also superior stability to the commercial Pt/C catalyst for the ORR in alkaline solutions (0.1 and 1.0 M KOH). A combination of structural characterization ( e.g., XPS, HRTEM, XANES, and EXAFS) and electrochemical analysis shows that the high ORR activity of the Co3 (PO4 )2 C-N/rGOA catalyst should be attributed to the co-existence of N-doped graphitic carbon and the cobalt phosphate with Co–N species that boost the activity of the cobalt phosphate. These findings open an avenue for exploring the use of phosphonate-based MOFs for energy conversion and storage applications.