Issue 7, 2017

Atomic interpretation of high activity on transition metal and nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers for catalyzing oxygen reduction

Abstract

In this study, we synthesized three types of carbon nanofibers doped with transition metals (TM = Fe or Co) and nitrogen (N) using electrospinning and heat treatment procedures, and their activity was measured for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in both acid and alkaline media. It was found that the nanofiber catalysts co-doped with TM and N exhibited higher ORR activity than the metal-free nanofibers doped only with N in both electrolytes. In addition, all three catalysts showed a higher ORR activity in alkaline vs. acid electrolytes. Based on the advanced electron microscopy images in atomic scale and density functional theory calculations, we proposed that the active sites in these catalysts for ORR were the TM–N4 clusters embedded between two graphene edges and the pyridinic nitrogen derived carbon atoms. Our proposal of ORR active sites explains our electrochemical measurement results. Through this comparative study, we gained new insights into the role of transition metals and electrolytes in affecting the ORR activity of transition metal and nitrogen derived non-precious carbon catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Atomic interpretation of high activity on transition metal and nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers for catalyzing oxygen reduction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Nov 2016
Accepted
28 Dec 2016
First published
03 Jan 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017,5, 3336-3345

Atomic interpretation of high activity on transition metal and nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers for catalyzing oxygen reduction

X. Yan, K. Liu, T. Wang, Y. You, J. Liu, P. Wang, X. Pan, G. Wang, J. Luo and J. Zhu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 3336 DOI: 10.1039/C6TA09462G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements