Issue 21, 2019

Enhancement mechanism of sulfur dopants on the catalytic activity of N and P co-doped three-dimensional hierarchically porous carbon as a metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

Abstract

Doping carbon networks with multi-heteroatoms is one of the most effective ways to achieve a carbon-based metal-free electrocatalyst with a superior activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, multi-heteroatom doped three-dimensional hierarchically micro/mesoporous carbon was synthesized as an efficient metal-free electrocatalyst towards ORR by pyrolyzing thiourea (THU) with nitrogen- and phosphorus-doped (N- and P-doped) hierarchically porous carbon networks derived from cattle bone. The obtained sulfur, nitrogen and phosphorus ternary-doped (S, N and P ternary-doped) carbon material has both a high porosity for effective mass transport of ORR reactants and abundant surface active sites for efficient ORR. As identified by X-ray absorption near edge structure spectroscopy, the S dopant in the reduced form (SRed) plays a major role during the ORR catalytic process. When used as an ORR electrocatalyst, the S, N and P ternary-doped carbon with the highest content of SRed outperformed the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst in alkaline electrolytes with a superior electrocatalytic activity (∼40 mV higher half-wave potential), outstanding electrochemical durability and a good anti-poisoning capability. This work presents an effective approach for the design and synthesis of efficient metal-free ORR electrocatalysts from earth-abundant cattle bone and analogues.

Graphical abstract: Enhancement mechanism of sulfur dopants on the catalytic activity of N and P co-doped three-dimensional hierarchically porous carbon as a metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 jul 2019
Accepted
20 avg 2019
First published
21 avg 2019

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2019,9, 5906-5914

Enhancement mechanism of sulfur dopants on the catalytic activity of N and P co-doped three-dimensional hierarchically porous carbon as a metal-free oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

Y. Zan, Z. Zhang, M. Dou and F. Wang, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2019, 9, 5906 DOI: 10.1039/C9CY01387C

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