Issue 11, 2022

CuII/CuI decorated N-doped carbonaceous electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) that for instance takes place at the cathode of fuel cells is one of the most examined model reactions of energy conversion. The ORR presents sluggish reaction kinetics, thus limiting the overall efficiency of these cells. Pt-based catalysts are still the widest choice though they exhibit important drawbacks such as long-term instability and intolerance to methanol crossover. In this context, engineering transition metals in the form of nano- and subnano-sites on carbonaceous supports has the potential of becoming an alternative to scarce noble metal-based catalysts. Herein, we describe a simple synthetic route towards CuII/CuI decorated N-doped carbonaceous ORR electrocatalysts. CuII/CuI nanosites are obtained by calcination in air of an ionic liquid derived noble carbonaceous support impregnated with copper(II) acetate. The strong interaction between the copper and the noble support foster the co-formation of CuII/CuI nanosites. Larger amounts of copper(II) acetate translate into larger amounts of CuI and lower Tafel slopes. The material with 4 wt% of copper catalyzes the selective reduction of oxygen through a 4-electron transfer pathway and exhibits a lower Tafel slope than commercial platinum, a minimal overpotential, and a higher limiting current density. Moreover, all materials show promising durability and high methanol stability, which makes them promising to replace noble metals for the ORR.

Graphical abstract: CuII/CuI decorated N-doped carbonaceous electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
03 Nov. 2021
Accepted
08 Nov. 2021
First published
09 Nov. 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022,10, 6107-6114

CuII/CuI decorated N-doped carbonaceous electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

J. Kossmann, M. L. Ortíz Sánchez-Manjavacas, H. Zschiesche, N. V. Tarakina, M. Antonietti, J. Albero and N. López-Salas, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 6107 DOI: 10.1039/D1TA09459A

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements