Duckweed derived nitrogen self-doped porous carbon materials as cost-effective electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction in microbial fuel cells. (29th May 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gong, Xiaobo; Peng, Lin; Wang, Xinghong; Wu, Lili; Liu, Yong
• Is Part Of: International journal of hydrogen energy. Volume 45:Number 30(2020)
• Page Start: 15336
• Page End: 15345
• Publication Date: 2020-05-29
• Subjects: Nitrogen self-doped porous carbon -- Biomass -- Duckweed -- Microbial fuel cells -- Oxygen reduction reaction; Hydrogen as fuel -- Periodicals; Hydrogène (Combustible) -- Périodiques; Hydrogen as fuel; Periodicals; 665.81
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.03.177
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0360-3199

Abstract

Abstract: Cost-effective metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction were incredible significance of improvement about microbial fuel cells. In this research, a novel nitrogen self-doped porous carbon material is effectively inferred with KOH activation from a natural and renewable biomass, duckweed. Self-doped nitrogen in carbon matrix of nitrogen-doped porous carbon at 800 °C provides abundant active sites for oxygen reduction and improves the oxygen reduction kinetics significantly. Moreover, the porous structure of nitrogen-doped porous carbon at 800 °C encourages the transition of electrolyte and oxygen molecules throughout the oxygen reduction reaction. Oxygen on the three-phase boundary is reduced to water according to a four-electron pathway on nitrogen-doped porous carbon electrocatalyst. The single-chamber microbial fuel cell with nitrogen-doped porous carbon as electrocatalyst achieves comparable power density (625.9 mW m −2 ) and better stability compared to the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. This simple and low-cost approach provides a straightforward strategy to prepare excellent nitrogen-doped electrocatalyst derived from natural and renewable biomass directly as a promising alternate to precious platinum-based catalysts in microbial fuel cells. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: NPC was successfully prepared by direct pyrosis and activation of duckweed. Oxygen was efficiently reduced to water through a four-electron pathway on NPC. NPC exhibited comparable performance and better stability to Pt/C catalyst in MFC.