Issue 38, 2023

Extending conducting channels in Fe–N-C by interfacial growth of CNTs with minimal metal loss for efficient ORR electrocatalysis

Abstract

Achieving a high electrocatalytic performance using a completely metal-free electrocatalyst, preferably based on only carbonaceous materials, remains a challenge. Alternatively, an efficient composite of a carbon nanostructure and a non-noble metal with minimum dependence on a metal holds immense potential. Although single-atom catalysis brings superior performance, its complex synthetic strategy limits its large-scale implementation. Previous investigation has shown that atomic dispersion (Fe–Nx-C) is accompanied by higher metal-loss compared to nanoparticle formation (Fe-NPs–N-C). Therefore, to achieve minimum metal loss, we first incorporated iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) to N-doped carbon (N-C) and then exposed them to a cheap carbon source, melamine at high temperature, resulting in the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) catalysed by those Fe NPs loaded on N-C (Fe-NPs–N-C). Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the metal-retention in the composite is higher than that in the bare carbon nanotube and even the atomically dispersed Fe-active sites on N-C. The composite material (Fe-NPs–N-C/CNT) shows a high half-wave potential (0.89 V vs. RHE) which is superior to that of commercial Pt/C towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The enhanced activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of high conductivity of CNTs and active Fe-sites as the composite exceeds the individual electrocatalytic performance shown by Fe-CNTs & Fe-NPs–N-C, and even that of atomically dispersed Fe-active sites on N-C.

Graphical abstract: Extending conducting channels in Fe–N-C by interfacial growth of CNTs with minimal metal loss for efficient ORR electrocatalysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
08 6 2023
Accepted
28 8 2023
First published
31 8 2023

Nanoscale, 2023,15, 15590-15599

Extending conducting channels in Fe–N-C by interfacial growth of CNTs with minimal metal loss for efficient ORR electrocatalysis

R. Garg, M. Jaiswal, K. Kumar, K. Kaur, B. Rawat, K. Kailasam and U. K. Gautam, Nanoscale, 2023, 15, 15590 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR02706F

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