In situ fabrication of cobalt sulfide-decorated N, S co-doped mesoporous carbon and its application as an electrocatalyst for efficient oxygen reduction reaction. (18th May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Parthiban, V.; Sruthibhai, P. V.; Menon, Rahul S.; Panda, Subhendu K.; Sahu, A. K.
• Is Part Of: New journal of chemistry. Volume 46:Number 22(2022)
• Page Start: 10700
• Page End: 10709
• Publication Date: 2022-05-18
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; Chimie -- Périodiques; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/d2nj00403h
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1144-0546

Abstract

Abstract : Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of N, S co-doped mesoporous carbon. Abstract : Designing an efficient electrocatalyst for facile oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential to achieve higher fuel cell performance. Herein, we demonstrate a simple in situ process to synthesize cobalt sulfide-decorated N and S co-doped mesoporous carbon (Co9 S8 /N, S-MC) and evaluated its electrocatalytic activity for ORR in alkaline media. Porous carbon has great potential as a support material due to its well-defined porous architecture, which facilitates the mass transport. Here, the Co9 S8 /N, S-MC electrocatalyst was designed through a soft template route using pluoronic-F127 as a structure-directing agent, phloroglucinol-formaldehyde resin as a carbon source, and thiourea and cobalt acetate as N, S and Co sources, respectively. The combined effects of cobalt sulfide, heteroatoms and the well-defined porous architecture of mesoporous carbon resulted in the excellent ORR performance of the Co9 S8 /N, S-MC catalyst. Consequently, the optimized Co9 S8 /N, S-MC catalyst exhibited an onset potential and limiting current density of 0.87 V vs. RHE, and 3.40 mA cm −2, respectively. These values were very close to those of the commercial Pt–C catalyst with only a difference of 50 mV and 80 mA cm −2, but the Co9 S8 /N, S-MC catalyst also showed a 30 mV higher half-wave potential and excellent long-term stability compared to those of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. These interesting results suggested the good potential application of Co9 S8 /N, S-MC as ORR electrocatalysts with longer stability in fuel cells.