Yanan Li1, Zhilong Xu1, Xiaohuan Sun1, Jie Han2, Rong Guo1. 1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, Jiangsu, PR China. 2. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225002, Jiangsu, PR China. Electronic address: hanjie@yzu.edu.cn.
Abstract
In recent years, carbon materials co-doped with transition metals and heteroatoms have been widely used in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as an alternative to platinum/carbon catalysts because of their high efficiency, low price, and appropriate sustainability. Herein, we report the synthesis of FeP, N-doped carbon (FeP, N-Carbon) hollow nanospheres (HNSs) and Fe, P, N-doped carbon (Fe, P, N-Carbon) HNSs. The FeP, N-Carbon was obtained via the pyrolysis of poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) HNSs in the presence of Fe(NO3)3 and phytic acid (PA), whereas Fe, P, N-Carbon was obtained by first pyrolyzing PoPD HNSs with Fe(NO3)3, followed by another cycle of pyrolysis with PA. Fe, P, N-Carbon exhibited a better ORR performance than FeP, N-Carbon, with an onset potential of 1.03 V, a half-wave potential of 0.89 V and a limiting current density of 5.75 mA cm-2. The findings will provide insights into the controlled synthesis of transition-metal-heteroatom-codoped carbon nanomaterials for the development of advanced ORR electrocatalysts.
In recent years, pan class="Chemical">pan class="Chemical">carbonpan> materials co-doped with transition papan>n class="Chemical">metals and heteroatoms have been widely used in the n>n class="Chemical">oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) as an alternative to platinum/carbon catalysts because of their high efficiency, low price, and appropriate sustainability. Herein, we report the synthesis of FeP, N-doped carbon (FeP, N-Carbon) hollow nanospheres (HNSs) and Fe, P, N-doped carbon (Fe, P, N-Carbon) HNSs. The FeP, N-Carbon was obtained via the pyrolysis of poly(o-phenylenediamine) (PoPD) HNSs in the presence of Fe(NO3)3 and phytic acid (PA), whereas Fe, P, N-Carbon was obtained by first pyrolyzing PoPD HNSs with Fe(NO3)3, followed by another cycle of pyrolysis with PA. Fe, P, N-Carbon exhibited a better ORR performance than FeP, N-Carbon, with an onset potential of 1.03 V, a half-wave potential of 0.89 V and a limiting current density of 5.75 mA cm-2. The findings will provide insights into the controlled synthesis of transition-metal-heteroatom-codoped carbon nanomaterials for the development of advanced ORR electrocatalysts.