Enriched Pyridinic Nitrogen Atoms at Nanoholes of Carbon Nanohorns for Efficient Oxygen Reduction.

ABSTRACT: Nitrogen (N)-doped nanostructured carbons have been actively examined as promising alternatives for precious-metal catalysts in various electrochemical energy generation systems. Herein, an effective approach for synthesizing N-doped single-walled carbon nanohorns (SWNHs) with highly electrocatalytic active sites via controlled oxidation followed by N₂ plasma is presented. Nanosized holes were created on the conical tips and sidewalls of SWNHs under mild oxidation, and subsequently, the edges of the holes were easily decorated with N atoms. The N atoms were present preferentially in a pyridinic configuration along the edges of the nanosized holes without significant structural change of the SWNHs. The enriched edges decorated with the pyridinic-N atoms at the atomic scale increa

SUBMITTER: Wee JH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6934446 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature