Fabrication of an N-doped mesoporous bio-carbon electrocatalyst efficient in Zn–air batteries by an in situ gas-foaming strategy

Abstract

A nitrogen doped bio-carbon catalyst with high specific surface area and a hierarchical interconnected porous structure was fabricated by an in situ gas-foaming strategy from sodium alginate and ammonium chloride. The optimized catalyst displays a fabulous ORR activity, providing a facile approach for the mass production of metal-free bio-carbon catalysts in fuel cells and metal–air batteries.