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Journal of Nanoparticle Research

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01-11-2019 | Research Paper

Porous Fe, Co, and N-co-doped carbon nanofibers as high-efficiency oxygen reduction catalysts

Authors: Ke Yu, Peng-Hui Shi, Jin-Chen Fan, Yu-Lin Min, Qun-Jie Xu

Published in: Journal of Nanoparticle Research | Issue 11/2019

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Abstract

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important reaction in fuel cells. Designing electrocatalysts with outstanding performance is always the key to renewable-energy technologies for fuel cells. Herein, we demonstrate the Fe, Co, and N co-doped porous carbon nanofibers (FeCo/N-C CNFs) as a novel high-performance electrocatalyst for ORR. The synthesis method of this electrocatalysts material is very simple via high-temperature calcination pyrolysis of zinc, cobalt bimetallic zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF)-coated electrospun polyacrylonitrile fibers. In alkaline media, the FeCo/N-C CNFs shows a Pt-like ORR performance. The FeCo/N-C CNFs catalysts exhibit excellent performance with an onset potential of 0.99 V and a half-wave potential of 0.83 V in 0.1 M KOH solution, which is similar to those of 20 wt% Pt/C catalysts. Meanwhile, regarding long-term durability and methanol tolerance, the as-synthesized FeCo/N-C CNF catalysts also outperform commercial Pt/C. The unusual catalytic activity mainly from the improvement of electron transfer channels and catalytic sites arise from Fe, Co, and N doping in the porous structure carbon nanofibers.

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Title: Porous Fe, Co, and N-co-doped carbon nanofibers as high-efficiency oxygen reduction catalysts
Authors: Ke Yu
Peng-Hui Shi
Jin-Chen Fan
Yu-Lin Min
Qun-Jie Xu
Publication date: 01-11-2019
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Published in: Journal of Nanoparticle Research / Issue 11/2019
Print ISSN: 1388-0764
Electronic ISSN: 1572-896X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-019-4678-z

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