Construction of Highly Active Metal‐Containing Nanoparticles and FeCo‐N4 Composite Sites for the Acidic Oxygen Reduction Reaction. Issue 49 (6th October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yin, Shu‐Hu; Yang, Jian; Han, Yu; Li, Gen; Wan, Li‐Yang; Chen, You‐Hu; Chen, Chi; Qu, Xi‐Ming; Jiang, Yan‐Xia; Sun, Shi‐Gang
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 59:Issue 49(2020)
• Page Start: 21976
• Page End: 21979
• Publication Date: 2020-10-06
• Subjects: composite sites -- metal-N-C -- nanoparticles -- non-precious metals -- oxygen reduction reaction; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202010013
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Metal‐containing nanoparticles (M‐NPs) in metal/nitrogen‐doped carbon (M‐N‐C) catalysts have been considered hostile to the acidic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The relation between M‐NPs and the active sites of metal coordinated with nitrogen (MN x ) is hard to establish in acid medium owing to the poor stability of M‐NPs. Herein, we develop a strategy to successfully construct a new FeCo‐N‐C catalyst containing highly active M‐NPs and MN4 composite sites (M/FeCo‐SAs‐N‐C). Enhanced catalytic activity and stability of M/FeCo‐SAs‐N‐C is shown experimentally. Calculations reveal that there is a strong interaction between M‐NPs and FeN4 sites, which can favor ORR by activating the O−O bond, thus facilitating a direct 4 e − process. Those findings firstly shed light on the highly active M‐NPs and FeN4 composite sites for catalyzing acid oxygen reduction reaction, and the relevant reaction mechanism is suggested. Abstract : Highly active metal‐containing nanoparticles and FeN4 composite sites have been constructed. Experiment and calculation results reveal the enormous potential for activating the O−O bond and promoting the direct 4 e − dissociation pathway in the acidic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), which could fundamentally improve ORR activity and inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species.