Battery Science & TechnologyNitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers have potential to be an alternative metal-free catalyst for the air-electrodes in fuel cells and metal-air batteries because of their enhanced electro-catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction(ORR). However, the available nitrogen doping precesses require more than one step. Here we report a simple and cost-effective fabrication precess, eletrospinning of polymeric fibers followed by carbonization at 1100℃, for preparation of nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofibers with extremely high surface are (1271 m2g-1), demonstrating excellent electrocatalytic activity toward ORR at low cost, which is attributed to proper nitrogen-doping and enhanced graphitic characteristics of carbon nanofibers. For example, the performance of a Zn-air cell based on the nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanofibers exhibits a peak power density of 194mW/cm2, comparable to that based on a commercial Pt/C catalyst (192 mW/cm2). Further, the generation of hydrogen peroxide ion(<20%) in a half cell on the new catalyst is similar to that on the commercial Pt/C catalyst.ope
