Fe-N-C catalyst with atomic Fe dispersion and hierarchical porosity <i>via</i> PVP-assisted MOF synthesis for ORR in acidic media.

ABSTRACT: Iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) catalysts have emerged as leading non-precious metal catalyst (NPMC) candidates for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media, yet challenges persist in achieving high activity, durability, and atomic-scale Fe dispersion. Here, we report Fe-ZIF-8-PVP-1000, a high-performance Fe-N-C catalyst synthesized via a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-assisted metal-organic framework (MOF) strategy. PVP functions as a morphology stabilizer, nitrogen dopant, and metal dispersant, producing atomically dispersed Fe-N _x sites within a hierarchically porous, nitrogen-rich carbon matrix. The catalyst achieves a half-wave potential (E _1/2) of 0.865 V vs. RHE in 0.5 M H₂SO₄, surpassing commercial 28.6 wt

SUBMITTER: Shoaib M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12451445 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature