Metal-free nitrogen-doped carbon foam electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in acid solution

Liu, J.; Yu, S.; Daio, T.; Ismail, M. S.; Sasaki, K.; Lyth, S. M.

Abstract

Metal-free, nitrogen-doped carbon foam is utilized as a model non-precious electrocatalyst system to investigate the role of nitrogen in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in the absence of iron contamination. This graphene-like foam displays relatively high activity for the ORR in acid, despite being proven free from transition-metal impurities. The onset potential is 0.85 VRHE, the mass activity is 2.8 A/g at 0.6 VRHE, and the current density is -4.0 mA/cm2. The maximum electron transfer number is calculated to be 3.6, revealing that a 4-electron pathway is possible in nitrogen-doped carbon, even in the absence of transition-metal coordination sites. The excellent electrochemical activity is attributed to the large surface area (700 m2/g), improved conductivity after graphitization, and the relatively high proportion of tertiary (graphite-like) nitrogen.

Citation

Liu, J., Yu, S., Daio, T., Ismail, M. S., Sasaki, K., & Lyth, S. M. (2016). Metal-free nitrogen-doped carbon foam electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in acid solution. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 163(9), F1049-F1054. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0631609jes

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jan 21, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 3, 2023
• Journal: Journal of the Electrochemical Society
• Print ISSN: 0013-4651
• Electronic ISSN: 1945-7111
• Publisher: Electrochemical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 163
• Issue: 9
• Pages: F1049-F1054
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0631609jes
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4186259