Synergistic melamine intercalation and Zn(NO3)2 activation of N-doped porous carbon supported Fe/Fe3O4 for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen reduction† † Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See https://doi.org/10.1039/d2ra02170f

ABSTRACT: Developing inexpensive, efficient and good stability transition metal-based oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is a research topic of great concern in the commercial application of fuel cells. Herein, with zinc nitrate as activator, iron nitrate as active component and melamine as intercalating agent and nitrogen source, an N-doped porous carbon supported Fe/Fe3O4 (Fe/Fe3O4@NC) catalyst is successfully synthesized by an impregnation–calcination method combined with freeze-drying technique. The positive onset potential (Eonset), half-wave potential (E1/2) and limiting current density (JL) of the optimal Fe/Fe3O4@NC catalyst are 1.012, 0.90 V vs. RHE and 5.87 mA cm−2, respectively. Furthermore, Fe/Fe3O4@NC catalyzes ORR mainly through a 4e− pathway, and the yield of H2O2 is less than 5%. It also manifests a robust stability after 5000 CV cycles of ADT testing, and the half-wave potential is only negatively shifted 17 mV. The structural characterization and experimental results further suggest that the outstanding ORR electrocatalytic performance of the Fe/Fe3O4@NC catalyst benefits from the synergetic effect of zinc nitrate activation and nitrogen doping, which can greatly improve the specific surface area, thus better dispersing more metal active sites. This work puts forward a simple and practicable way for preparing high-performance non-noble metal-based biomass ORR electrocatalysts. N-doped 2D porous carbon supported Fe/Fe3O4 composite is fabricated by melamine intercalation and zinc nitrate as activator. The synergistic effect makes the catalyst shows excellent ORR activity and decent durability compared with commercial Pt/C.

SUBMITTER: Ni Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9131736 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature