Fabrication of a nitrogen-doped carbon catalyst from a precursor polymer using the electron beam irradiation technique

A novel process for fabricating a nitrogen-doped carbon catalyst from a precursor polymer utilizing the high-energy electron beam (EB) irradiation technique was examined with the aim of simultaneously forming a graphitic nanostructure and nitrogen doping in thermally non-equilibrium conditions. A blend of phenolic resin and cobalt chloride was irradiated by a 2 MeV EB under flowing ammonia gas and heated up to 800 °C. It was found that the EB irradiation produces carbon material with a high content of the graphite phase and enhances the amount of N-doping, especially pyridinic-N, compared with the common heat treatment in an electric furnace. The obtained carbon material exhibited catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) with an ORR potential of 0.7 V versus RHE and an electron transfer number of 3 in 0.5 M H2SO4