Issue 3, 2018

Controlled synthesis of porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanoshells for highly efficient oxygen reduction

Abstract

Hollow nanostructures, owing to their unique structural features, have attracted tremendous attention in electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Herein, we develop a facile and controllable, but rational and effective, method to prepare a highly active hollow nitrogen-doped carbon nanoshell (termed as HNS-800) oxygen reduction electrocatalyst. The hollow nano-shelled catalyst was synthesized by using 9,11,20,22-tetraaza-tetrapyridopentacene (tatpp) as the building block and coated with silica nano-spheres as the template, followed by carbonization at 800 °C and finally chemical etching. The average thickness of the nanoshell is ∼10 nm and about three times improvement in the specific surface area (from 253 to 647 m2 g−1) was obtained owing to the formation of the nanoshell structure. Compared with the traditional solid nanorod structure prepared without the controlled template (termed as NR-800), the newly formed hollow nanoshell structure contributed to the huge promotion of ORR in both alkaline and acidic media. The as-obtained HNS-800 exhibited very efficient activity with a high kinetic current density (Jk) of 18.02 mA cm−2 at 0.8 V vs. RHE and a small Tafel slope of 69 mV dec−1. In particular, the half-wave potential of HNS-800 (0.87 V vs. RHE) was higher by 25 mV than that of the benchmark Pt/C in 0.1 M KOH. Unlike the commercial Pt/C electrode, the HNS-800 electrocatalyst was almost free from the methanol crossover effect and showed a better stability.

Graphical abstract: Controlled synthesis of porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanoshells for highly efficient oxygen reduction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
24 Oct 2017
Accepted
19 Dec 2017
First published
19 Dec 2017

React. Chem. Eng., 2018,3, 238-243

Controlled synthesis of porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanoshells for highly efficient oxygen reduction

L. Shi, P. Peng and Z. Xiang, React. Chem. Eng., 2018, 3, 238 DOI: 10.1039/C7RE00178A

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