1 research outputs found
Tuning the Catalytic Activity of a Metal–Organic Framework Derived Copper and Nitrogen Co-Doped Carbon Composite for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
An efficient non-noble metal catalyst
for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of great importance for
the fabrication of cost-effective fuel cells. Nitrogen-doped carbons
with various transition metal co-dopants have emerged as attractive
candidates to replace the expensive platinum catalysts. Here we report
the preparation of various copper- and nitrogen-doped carbon materials
as highly efficient ORR catalysts by pyrolyzing porphyrin based metal
organic frameworks and investigate the effects of air impurities during
the thermal carbonization process. Our results indicate that the introduction
of air impurities can significantly improve ORR activity in nitrogen-doped
carbon and the addition of copper co-dopant further enhances the ORR
activity to exceed that of platinum. Systematic structural characterization
and electrochemical studies demonstrate that the air-impurity-treated
samples show considerably higher surface area and electron transfer
numbers, suggesting that the partial etching of the carbon by air
leads to increased porosity and accessibility to highly active ORR
sites. Our study represents the first example of using air or oxygen
impurities to tailor the ORR activity of metal and nitrogen co-doped
carbon materials and open up a new avenue to engineer the catalytic
activity of these materials