A facile strategy to fabricate nitrogen-doped graphene aerogel-supported Fe3N nanoparticles as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction. (26th January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Shufeng; Yu, Dingling; He, Xingquan
• Is Part Of: New journal of chemistry. Volume 41:Number 4(2017)
• Page Start: 1755
• Page End: 1764
• Publication Date: 2017-01-26
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chimie -- Périodiques; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c6nj02679f
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1144-0546

Abstract

Abstract : In this study, a novel hybrid composed of iron nitride and nitrogen-functionalized graphene aerogel (Fe3 N/N-GA) was fabricated and used as an electrode material for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Abstract : In this study, a novel hybrid composed of iron nitride and nitrogen-functionalized graphene aerogel (Fe3 N/N-GA) was fabricated and used as an electrode material for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The Fe3 N/N-GA obtained at the pyrolysis temperature of 900 °C, denoted as Fe3 N/N-GA-900, exhibits outstanding catalytic activity towards the ORR compared to other Fe3 N/N-GA hybrids, which may be due to the highest absolute content of Fe–N and graphitic-N species in the Fe3 N/N-GA-900. Remarkably, the fabricated Fe3 N/N-GA-900 hybrid is comparable to the benchmark Pt/C catalyst in terms of the onset potential and half-wave potential, but it possesses a larger kinetic energy, which limits the current density, and better methanol tolerance and operational stability than those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst for the ORR in an alkaline medium. Therefore, it holds great promise as a replacement for the Pt/C catalyst in alkaline direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs).