Issue 49, 2016, Issue in Progress

Graphene aerogel-supported and graphene quantum dots-modified γ-MnOOH nanotubes as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

In this work, we demonstrate a facile strategy to synthesize a novel three-dimensional (3D) graphene aerogel-supported and graphene quantum dots-modified γ-MnOOH nanotubes as a highly efficient electrocatalyst. The structure, morphology, and chemical composition of γ-MnOOH@GA/GQDs are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The electrocatalytic activity of catalysts is discussed by cyclic voltammograms (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements in O2-saturated 0.1 M KOH electrolyte. The γ-MnOOH@GA/GQDs hybrid exhibits more positive onset potential and half-wave potential, faster charge transfer, lower Tafel slope than that of γ-MnOOH@GA, GA and γ-MnOOH, and mainly undergoes a direct 4e reaction pathway. Furthermore, its electrocatalytic performance is comparable with the commercial 20 wt% Pt/C, which is attributed to the unique 3D crumpled porous nanostructure of GA with large specific area and fast electron transport, and the synergic covalent coupling between the γ-MnOOH nanotubes and GA. More importantly, the GQDs structural defects can facilitate the adsorption of oxygen and charge transfer. As a highly efficient surface “sensitizer”, GQDs are modified on the γ-MnOOH surfaces to further boost the electrocatalytic property.

Graphical abstract: Graphene aerogel-supported and graphene quantum dots-modified γ-MnOOH nanotubes as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
22 Feb 2016
Accepted
25 Apr 2016
First published
26 Apr 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 43116-43126

Author version available

Graphene aerogel-supported and graphene quantum dots-modified γ-MnOOH nanotubes as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Y. Liu, W. Li, J. Li, H. Shen, Y. Li and Y. Guo, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 43116 DOI: 10.1039/C6RA04695A

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