Iron Carbide Nanoparticles Encapsulated in Mesoporous Fe‐N‐Doped Carbon Nanofibers for Efficient Electrocatalysis

Exploring low‐cost and high‐performance nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and metal–air batteries is crucial for the commercialization of these energy conversion and storage devices. Here we report a novel NPMC consisting of Fe₃C nanoparticles encapsulated in mesoporous Fe‐N‐doped carbon nanofibers, which is synthesized by a cost‐effective method using carbonaceous nanofibers, pyrrole, and FeCl₃ as precursors. The electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding ORR activity (onset potential of ?0.02 V and half‐wave potential of ?0.140 V) closely comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst in alkaline media, and good ORR activity in acidic media, which is among the highest reported activities of NPMCs.     

Synergistic Enhancement of Electrocatalytic Activity toward Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Electrolytes with Pentabasic (Fe,B, N,S, P)‐Doped Reduced Graphene Oxide

As alternatives to Pt‐based electrocatalysts, the development of nonprecious metal catalysts with high performance in the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desirable for widespread use in fuel cells. Here we report a simple approach for preparing pentabasic (Fe, B, N, S, P)‐doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via a two‐step doping method of adding boric acid and ferric chloride to ternary (N, S, P)‐doped rGO (NSPG). Electrochemical investigation of the composites for the ORR revealed that simultaneously doping appropriate amounts of Fe and B into the NSPG produced a synergistic effect that endowed the prepared catalyst with both a positively shifted ORR half‐wave potential and high selectivity for the 4e^? reduction of O₂. The optimized Fe₂B‐NSPG catalyst approached a 4e^? process for the ORR with a half‐wave potential (E_1/2=0.90 V vs. RHE) even 30 mV higher than that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline solution. Furthermore, relative to the Pt/C catalyst, the Fe₂B‐NSPG demonstrated superior stability and excellent tolerance of the methanol cross‐over effect. This simple method afforded pentabasic (Fe, B, N, S, P)‐doped rGO as a promising nonprecious metal catalyst used for alkaline fuel cells.     

Isolated Single Iron Atoms Anchored on N‐Doped Porous Carbon as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The development of low‐cost, efficient, and stable electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is desirable but remains a great challenge. Herein, we made a highly reactive and stable isolated single‐atom Fe/N‐doped porous carbon (ISA Fe/CN) catalyst with Fe loading up to 2.16 wt %. The catalyst showed excellent ORR performance with a half‐wave potential (E _1/2) of 0.900 V, which outperformed commercial Pt/C and most non‐precious‐metal catalysts reported to date. Besides exceptionally high kinetic current density (J _k) of 37.83 mV cm⁻² at 0.85 V, it also had a good methanol tolerance and outstanding stability. Experiments demonstrated that maintaining the Fe as isolated atoms and incorporating nitrogen was essential to deliver the high performance. First principle calculations further attributed the high reactivity to the high efficiency of the single Fe atoms in transporting electrons to the adsorbed OH species.     

Bottom‐Up Fabrication of a Sandwich‐Like Carbon/Graphene Heterostructure with Built‐In FeNC Dopants as Non‐Noble Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

High‐performance non‐noble electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are the prerequisite for large‐scale utilization of fuel cells. Herein, a type of sandwiched‐like non‐noble electrocatalyst with highly dispersed FeN_x active sites embedded in a hierarchically porous carbon/graphene heterostructure was fabricated using a bottom‐up strategy. The in situ ion substitution of Fe³⁺ in a nitrogen‐containing MOF (ZIF‐8) allows the Fe‐heteroatoms to be uniformly distributed in the MOF precursor, and the assembly of Fe‐doped ZIF‐8 nano‐crystals with graphene‐oxide and in situ reduction of graphene‐oxide afford a sandwiched‐like Fe‐doped ZIF‐8/graphene heterostructure. This type of heterostructure enables simultaneous optimization of FeN_x active sites, architecture and interface properties for obtaining an electron‐catalyst after a one‐step carbonization. The synergistic effect of these factors render the resulting catalysts with excellent ORR activities. The half‐wave potential of 0.88 V vs. RHE outperforms most of the none‐noble metal catalyst and is comparable with the commercial Pt/C (20 wt %) catalyst. Apart from the high activity, this catalyst exhibits excellent durability and good methanol‐tolerance. Detailed investigations demonstrate that a moderate content of Fe dopants can effectively increase the intrinsic activities, and the hybridization of graphene can enhance the reaction kinetics of ORR. The strategy proposed in this work gives an inspiration towards developing efficient noble‐metal‐free electrocatalysts for ORR.     

Single‐Atom Cr−N4 Sites Designed for Durable Oxygen Reduction Catalysis in Acid Media

Single‐atom catalysts (SACs) are attracting widespread interest for the catalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), with Fe?N_x SACs exhibiting the most promising activity. However, Fe‐based catalysts suffer serious stability issues as a result of oxidative corrosion through the Fenton reaction. Herein, using a metal‐organic framework as an anchoring matrix, we for the first time obtained pyrolyzed Cr/N/C SACs for the ORR, where the atomically dispersed Cr is confirmed to have a Cr?N₄ coordination structure. The Cr/N/C catalyst exhibits excellent ORR activity with an optimal half‐wave potential of 0.773 V versus RHE. More excitingly, the Fenton reaction is substantially reduced and, thus, the final catalysts show superb stability. The innovative and robust active site for the ORR opens a new possibility to circumvent the stability issue of the non‐noble metal ORR catalysts.     

Porous Mn2O3: A Low‐Cost Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Media with Comparable Activity to Pt/C

Preparing nonprecious metal catalysts with high activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) can promote the development of energy conversion devices. Support‐free porous Mn₂O₃ was synthesized by a facile aerosol‐spray‐assisted approach (ASAA) and subsequent thermal treatment, and exhibited ORR activity that is comparable to commercial Pt/C The catalyst also exhibits notably higher activity than other Mn‐based oxides, such as Mn₃O₄ and MnO₂. The rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) study indicates a typical 4‐electron ORR pathway on Mn₂O₃. Furthermore, the porous Mn₂O₃ demonstrates considerable stability and a good methanol tolerance in alkaline media. In light of the low cost and high earth abundance of Mn, the highly active Mn₂O₃ is a promising candidate to be used as a cathode material in metal–air batteries and alkaline fuel cells.     

Synthesis and characterization of iron‐ and nitrogen‐functionalized graphene catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Iron‐ and nitrogen‐functionalized graphene (Fe‐N‐G), as well as iron‐ and nitrogen‐functionalized oxidized graphene (Fe‐N‐Gox) catalysts were synthesized as non‐noble metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The physical properties of the resultant catalysts were characterized using nitrogen adsorption measurements, X‐ray diffraction, Raman and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopies and transmission electron microscopy. Subsequently, ORR activities of the catalysts were determined electrochemically using a conventional three‐electrode cell via cyclic voltammetry with a rotating disc electrode, the results of which indicated that the synthesized catalysts had a marked electrocatalytic activity towards ORR in acid media. Among the synthesized catalysts, that functionalized using 2,4,6‐tris(2‐pyridyl)‐1,3,5‐triazine as nitrogen source had the highest electrocatalytic activity with the highest onset potential (0.98 V/SHE) and limiting current density (5.12 mA cm⁻²). The findings are particularly important to determine a non‐precious metal catalyst for ORR activity in fuel cells.     

Stable confinement of Fe/Fe_3C in Fe,N-codoped carbon nanotube towards robust zinc-air batteries

Catalytic oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction(OER) have garnered great attention as the key character in metal-air batteries.Herein,we developed a superior nonprecious bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst,fabricated through spatial confinement of Fe/Fe_3 C nanocrystals in pyridinic N and Fe-Nx rich carbon nanotubes(Fe/Fe_3 C-N-CNTs).During ORR,the resultant electrocatalyst exhibits positive onset pote ntial of 1.0 V(vs.RHE),large half-wave potentials of 0.88 V(vs.RHE),which is more positive than Pt/C(0.98 V and 0.83 V,respectively).Remarkably,Fe/Fe_3 C-N-CNTs exhibits outstanding durability and great methanol tolerance,exceeding Pt/C and most reported nonprecious metal-based oxygen reduction electrocatalysts.Moreover,Fe/Fe_3 C-N-CNTs show a markedly low potential at j=10 mA/cm~2,small Tafel slopes and extremely high stability for OER.Impressively,the Fe/Fe_3 C-N-CNTs-based Zn-air batteries demonstrate high power density of 183 mW/cm~2 and robust charge/discharge stability.It is revealed that the spatial confinement effect can impede the aggregation and corrosion of Fe/Fe_3 C nanocrystals.Meanwhile,Fe/Fe_3 C and Fe-Nx play synergistic effect on boosting the ORR/OER activity,which provides an important guideline for construction of inexpensive nonprecious metal-carbon hybrid nanomaterials.     

Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) Catalysts Based on Single Iron Atoms Dispersed on a Hierarchically Structured Porous Carbon Framework

Single Fe atoms dispersed on hierarchically structured porous carbon (SA‐Fe‐HPC) frameworks are prepared by pyrolysis of unsubstituted phthalocyanine/iron phthalocyanine complexes confined within micropores of the porous carbon support. The single‐atom Fe catalysts have a well‐defined atomic dispersion of Fe atoms coordinated by N ligands on the 3D hierarchically porous carbon support. These SA‐Fe‐HPC catalysts are comparable to the commercial Pt/C electrode even in acidic electrolytes for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in terms of the ORR activity (E_1/2=0.81 V), but have better long‐term electrochemical stability (7 mV negative shift after 3000 potential cycles) and fuel selectivity. In alkaline media, the SA‐Fe‐HPC catalysts outperform the commercial Pt/C electrode in ORR activity (E_1/2=0.89 V), fuel selectivity, and long‐term stability (1 mV negative shift after 3000 potential cycles). Thus, these nSA‐Fe‐HPCs are promising non‐platinum‐group metal ORR catalysts for fuel‐cell technologies.     

Metal‐Nitrogen‐doped Porous Carbons Derived from Metal‐Containing Ionic Liquids for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

This study describes a self‐doping and additive‐free strategy for the synthesis of metal‐nitrogen‐doped porous carbon materials (CMs) via carbonizing well‐tailored precursors, metal‐containing ionic liquids (M‐ILs). The organic skeleton in M‐ILs serves as both carbon and nitrogen sources, while metal ions acts as porogen and metallic dopants. A high nitrogen content, appropriate content of metallic species and hierarchical porosity synergistically endow the resultant CMs (MIBA‐M‐T) as effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). MIBA‐Fe‐900 with a high specific surface area of 1567 m² g^?1 exhibits an activity similar to that of Pt/C catalyst, a higher tolerance to methanol than Pt/C, and long‐term durability. This work supplies a simple and convenient route for the preparation of metal‐containing carbon electrocatalysts.     

Efficient Fe‐Co‐N‐C Electrocatalyst Towards Oxygen Reduction Derived from a Cationic CoII‐based Metal–Organic Framework Modified by Anion‐Exchange with Potassium Ferricyanide

Fe‐Co‐N‐C electrocatalysts have proven superior to their counterparts (e.g. Fe‐N‐C or Co‐N‐C) for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we report on a unique strategy to prepare Fe‐Co‐N‐C?x (x refers to the pyrolysis temperature) electrocatalysts which involves anion‐exchange of [Fe(CN)₆]^3? into a cationic Co^II‐based metal‐organic framework precursor prior to heat treatment. Fe‐Co‐N‐C‐900 exhibits an optimal ORR catalytic performance in an alkaline electrolyte with an onset potential (E_onset: 0.97 V) and half‐wave potential (E_1/2: 0.86 V) comparable to that of commercial Pt/C (E_onset=1.02 V; E_1/2=0.88 V), which outperforms the corresponding Co‐N‐C‐900 sample (E_onset=0.92 V; E_1/2=0.84 V) derived from the same MOF precursor without anion‐exchange modification. This is the first example of Fe‐Co‐N‐C electrocatalysts fabricated from a cationic Co^II‐based MOF precursor that dopes the Fe element via anion‐exchange, and our current work provides a new entrance towards MOF‐derived transition‐metal (e.g. Fe or Co) and nitrogen‐codoped carbon electrocatalysts with excellent ORR activity.     

On the Role of Metals in Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

The notion of metal‐free catalysts is used to refer to carbon materials modified with nonmetallic elements. However, some claimed metal‐free catalysts are prepared using metal‐containing precursors. It is highly contested that metal residues in nitrogen‐doped carbon (NC) catalysts play a crucial role in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In an attempt to reconcile divergent views, a definition for truly metal‐free catalysts is proposed and the differences between NC and M‐N_x/C catalysts are discussed. Metal impurities at levels usually undetectable by techniques such as XPS, XRD, and EDX significantly promote the ORR. Poisoning tests to mask the metal ions reveal the involvement of metal residues as active sites or as modifiers of the electronic structure of the active sites in NC. The unique merits of both M‐N_x/C and NC catalysts are discussed to inspire the development of more advanced nonprecious‐metal catalysts for the ORR.     

Metal Phthalocyanine‐Porphyrin‐based Conjugated Microporous Polymer‐derived Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Zn‐Air Batteries

Conjugated microporous polymers (CMPs) as emerging porous materials with diverse structures and tunable building‐units have attracted much attention in the electrochemical field. Herein, we designed phthalocyanine‐porphyrin‐based conjugated microporous polymers as precursors for fabrication of Co, Fe, N tri‐doped graphene composites towards oxygen reduction and evolution reaction (ORR/OER). As expected, the elements cobalt and iron are well dispersed in graphene carbon and interact with the nitrogen sites, thereby providing extra electrocatalytic active sites and enhancing its overall conductivity. Benefiting from its unique design and structure, the obtained catalyst affords a superior bifunctional catalytic activity with a positive onset potential of 0.957 V for ORR, and a low overpotential of 0.36 V for OER. More attractively, the CoFeNG is employed as an air cathode catalyst in Zn‐air batteries, showing a maximum current density of 215 mA cm^?2 and good cycle stability for 20000 s. The rational design of phthalocyanine‐porphyrin‐based derivatives provides a feasible route for the construction of high‐performance ORR/OER catalysts.     

Hierarchically Ordered Porous Carbon with Atomically Dispersed FeN4 for Ultraefficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Proton‐Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

The low catalytic activity and poor mass transport capacity of platinum group metal free (PGM‐free) catalysts seriously restrict the application of proton‐exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Catalysts derived from Fe‐doped ZIF‐8 could in theory be as active as Pt/C thanks to the high intrinsic activity of FeN₄; however, the micropores fail to meet rapid mass transfer. Herein, an ordered hierarchical porous structure is introduced into Fe‐doped ZIF‐8 single crystals, which were subsequently carbonized to obtain an FeN₄‐doped hierarchical ordered porous carbon (FeN₄/HOPC) skeleton. The optimal catalyst FeN₄/HOPC‐c‐1000 shows excellent performance with a half‐wave potential of 0.80 V in 0.5 m H₂SO₄ solution, only 20 mV lower than that of commercial Pt/C (0.82 V). In a real PEMFC, FeN₄/HOPC‐c‐1000 exhibits significantly enhanced current density and power density relative to FeN₄/C, which does not have an optimized pore structure, implying an efficient utilization of the active sites and enhanced mass transfer to promote the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).     

Stability of Fe‐N‐C Catalysts in Acidic Medium Studied by Operando Spectroscopy

Fundamental understanding of non‐precious metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the nub for the successful replacement of noble Pt in fuel cells and, therefore, of central importance for a technological breakthrough. Herein, the degradation mechanisms of a model high‐performance Fe‐N‐C catalyst have been studied with online inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP‐MS) and differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy (DEMS) coupled to a modified scanning flow cell (SFC) system. We demonstrate that Fe leaching from iron particles occurs at low potential (<0.7 V) without a direct adverse effect on the ORR activity, while carbon oxidation occurs at high potential (>0.9 V) with a destruction of active sites such as FeN_xC_y species. Operando techniques combined with identical location‐scanning transmission electron spectroscopy (IL‐STEM) identify that the latter mechanism leads to a major ORR activity decay, depending on the upper potential limit and electrolyte temperature. Stable operando potential windows and operational strategies are suggested for avoiding degradation of Fe‐N‐C catalysts in acidic medium.     

Porous Molybdenum‐Based Hybrid Catalysts for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

We have synthesized a porous Mo‐based composite obtained from a polyoxometalate‐based metal–organic framework and graphene oxide (POMOFs/GO) using a simple one‐pot method. The MoO₂@PC‐RGO hybrid material derived from the POMOFs/GO composite is prepared at a relatively low carbonization temperature, which presents a superior activity for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction (HER) in acidic media owing to the synergistic effects among highly dispersive MoO₂ particles, phosphorus‐doped porous carbon, and RGO substrates. MoO₂@PC‐RGO exhibits a very positive onset potential close to that of 20 % Pt/C, low Tafel slope of 41 mV dec^?1, high exchange current density of 4.8×10^?4 A cm^?2, and remarkable long‐term cycle stability. It is one of the best high‐performance catalysts among the reported nonprecious metal catalysts for HER to date.     

Cu Nanoparticles Embedded in N‐Doped Carbon Materials for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Development of eco‐friendly, cost‐effective, and high‐performance electrocatalysts to replace precious metal platinum for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has received increasing attention. Herein, we adopt a facile one‐pot strategy to embed Cu nanoparticles onto N‐doped carbon‐graphene (Cu@NC‐700). The Cu@NC‐700 exhibits robust and efficient ORR catalysis with positive half‐wave potential (~0.86 V vs. RHE) and low Tafel slope (33.9 mV?dec^–1) in 0.1 M KOH solution. Meanwhile, it manifests remarkable electrochemical stability, and strong tolerance to methanol crossover and carbon monoxide poisoning. The synergistic effect between Cu‐N‐C sites, Cu nanoparticles, and N‐doped carbon support speeds up ORR electrocatalysis.     

Ultrahigh‐Loading Zinc Single‐Atom Catalyst for Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction in Both Acidic and Alkaline Media

Atomically dispersed Zn–N–C nanomaterials are promising platinum‐free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the fabrication of Zn–N–C catalysts with a high Zn loading remains a formidable challenge owing to the high volatility of the Zn precursor during high‐temperature annealing. Herein, we report that an atomically dispersed Zn–N–C catalyst with an ultrahigh Zn loading of 9.33 wt % could be successfully prepared by simply adopting a very low annealing rate of 1° min^?1. The Zn–N–C catalyst exhibited comparable ORR activity to that of Fe–N–C catalysts, and significantly better ORR stability than Fe–N–C catalysts in both acidic and alkaline media. Further experiments and DFT calculations demonstrated that the Zn–N–C catalyst was less susceptible to protonation than the corresponding Fe–N–C catalyst in an acidic medium. DFT calculations revealed that the Zn–N₄ structure is more electrochemically stable than the Fe–N₄ structure during the ORR process.     

高分散Fe-N-C氧还原反应电催化剂及其在直接甲醇燃料电池中的应用

氧还原反应(ORR)是燃料电池和金属空气电池等洁净发电装置中阴极的主要反应,该反应动力学过程慢,电化学极化严重. Pt基电催化剂具有较好的ORR活性,然而Pt资源有限、价格昂贵,研制高活性、低成本的代Pt电催化剂意义重大.经过几十年的探索,研究者发现将含有C, N和Fe等元素的前体进行高温热处理得到的Fe-N-C电催化剂对ORR具有良好的活性,然而在高温热解过程中Fe容易发生聚集而形成大块颗粒,导致Fe的利用率不高,影响了电催化剂的ORR活性.
　　本文分别以聚吡咯和乙二胺四乙酸二钠(EDTA-2Na)为C和N的前驱体,利用高温热解形成的富含微孔的碳材料对铁前体的吸附及锚定作用,获得了一种Fe高度分散的Fe-N-C电催化剂.采用物理吸脱附技术、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)和扫描电镜对Fe-N-C及其制备过程中相关电催化剂的孔结构及表面形貌进行了表征.结果表明,在第一步热解过程中, EDTA-2Na的Na对碳材料起到了活化作用,形成富含微孔的N掺杂碳材料(N-C-1),其BET比表面积达到1227 m2/g,孔径约1.1 nm.在第二步热解过程中, N-C-1有效地抑制了Fe的聚集,产物Fe-N-C中的Fe元素均匀地分布在碳材料中,其比表面积高达1501 m2/g.
　　电化学测试结果表明,在碱性介质(0.1 mol/L NaOH)中, Fe-N-C电催化剂对ORR具有良好的催化活性, ORR起始电位(Eo)为1.08 V (vs. RHE),半波电位(E1/2)0.88 V,电子转移数n接近4, H2O2产率<3%,与商品20%Pt/C(Johnson Matthey)接近.电化学加速老化测试结果表明, Fe-N-C的E1/2未发生明显变化,而Pt的负移45 mV,表明Fe-N-C具有很好的稳定性;在酸性介质(0.1 mol/L HClO4)中, Fe-N-C的Eo为0.85 V, E1/2为0.75 V,其E1/2比Pt/C负移约0.15 V,表明在酸性介质中Fe-N-C对ORR的催化活性还有待提高.采用TEM、X射线衍射、X射线光电子能谱以及穆斯堡尔谱等方法研究了电催化剂构效关系.结果表明, Fe-N-C较好的ORR活性主要来自于高分散的Fe-N4结构,此外, N(吡啶N和石墨N)掺杂的C也对反应具有一定的催化活性.
　　与Pt/C相比, Fe-N-C电催化剂具有很好的耐甲醇性能.本文对比了Fe-N-C和Pt/C作为阴极催化剂的直接醇类燃料电池(DMFC)性能,采用质子交换膜的DMFC最大功率密度分别为47(Fe-N-C)和79 mW/cm2(Pt/C),而采用碱性电解质膜的则分别为33(Fe-N-C)和8 mW/cm2(Pt/C).结合半电池结果表明, Fe-N-C电催化剂在碱性介质中具有比Pt更为优秀的催化活性和稳定性,有望用作DMFC阴极代Pt催化剂.     

Synergistic Effects between Atomically Dispersed Fe−N−C and C−S−C for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Acidic Media

Various advanced catalysts based on sulfur‐doped Fe/N/C materials have recently been designed for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR); however, the enhanced activity is still controversial and usually attributed to differences in the surface area, improved conductivity, or uncertain synergistic effects. Herein, a sulfur‐doped Fe/N/C catalyst (denoted as Fe/SNC) was obtained by a template‐sacrificing method. The incorporated sulfur gives a thiophene‐like structure (C−S−C), reduces the electron localization around the Fe centers, improves the interaction with oxygenated species, and therefore facilitates the complete 4 e⁻ ORR in acidic solution. Owing to these synergistic effects, the Fe/SNC catalyst exhibits much better ORR activity than the sulfur‐free variant (Fe/NC) in 0.5 m H₂SO₄.