Bottom-up synthesis of high-performance nitrogen-enriched transition metal/graphene oxygen reduction electrocatalysts both in alkaline and acidic solution. Issue 35 (18th August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lai, Qingxue; Gao, Qingwen; Su, Qi; Liang, Yanyu; Wang, Yuxi; Yang, Zhi
• Is Part Of: Nanoscale. Volume 7:Issue 35(2015)
• Page Start: 14707
• Page End: 14714
• Publication Date: 2015-08-18
• Subjects: Nanoscience -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; 620.505
• DOI: 10.1039/c5nr02984h
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2040-3364

Abstract

Abstract : A versatile bottom-up protocol towards the synthesis of N–TM/G oxygen reduction electrocatalysts with a strongly-coupled triple junction structure is demonstrated. Abstract : Oxygen reduction electrocatalysts with low cost and excellent performance are urgently required for large-scale application in fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Though nitrogen-enriched transition metal/graphene hybrids (N–TM/G, TM = Fe, Co, and Ni and related compounds) have been developed as novel substitutes for precious metal catalysts (PMCs) towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), a significant challenge still remains for simple and efficient synthesis of N–TM/G catalysts with satisfactory electrocatalytic behavior. Herein, we demonstrate a universal bottom-up strategy for efficient fabrication of strongly-coupled N–TM/G catalysts. This strategy is implemented via direct polymerization of transition metal phthalocyanine (TMPc) in the two-dimensional confined space of in situ generated g-C3 N4 and a subsequent pyrolysis. Such a space-confined bottom-up synthesis route successfully constructs a strongly-coupled triple junction of transition metal–graphitic carbon–nitrogen-doped graphene (TM–GC–NG) with extensive controllability over the specific surface area, nitrogen content/types as well as the states of metal. As a result, the optimized N–Fe/G materials have promising potential as high-performance NPMCs towards ORR both in alkaline and acidic solution.