Ideal N-doped carbon nanoarchitectures evolved from fibrils for highly efficient oxygen reduction

Abstract

Convenient and economic one-step nitrogenization of oxygen-rich fibril materials, such as absorbent cotton and facial tissue, under gaseous ammonia is used to synthesize various oxygen reduction catalysts. The surface nanoarchitectures of fibrils are remolded by this nitrogenization processing with multi-effects involving the doping of abundant active pyridinic and graphitic N in the carbon skeleton, creating a highly unique mesopore structure with an ultrahigh specific area as well as a high degree of graphitization. The joint optimization of these structure characteristics yields an ideal catalytic nanoarchitecture, which can execute an approximate 4e⁻ oxygen reduction with an activity comparable to that of Pt/C. The durability and methanol tolerance of the catalyst are also essentially superior to that of commercial Pt/C on the basis of this ideal nanoarchitecture.