基于氮掺杂碳载铁复合物的锌空电池氧阴极催化剂（英文）

迫在眉睫的环境和能源问题推动人类探索可行、可靠和可再生的能源技术.锌-空气电池和氢氧燃料电池等器件显示出高能量转换效率,但是仍有许多难题有待克服,例如阴极侧上缓慢的氧还原反应(ORR),以及高昂的成本极大地限制了铂基催化剂在商业上的广泛应用.因此,开发高性能的廉价ORR催化剂具有重要意义.过渡金属碳氮化合物(M-N-C, M=Co, Fe等)成为最有希望替代铂基催化剂的一类材料, M-N-C催化剂可以通过直接热解含有过渡金属、氮和碳物种的前驱体合成.然而热解时金属原子易团聚,多孔结构不能被有效地控制,导致相对较差的催化活性.目前, MOF衍生的催化剂在能源转化和储存技术中得到了广泛的关注,其具有丰富的氮含量、高比表面积和可调的孔道结构等特点.本文报道了一种简便可靠可控的合成铁氮共掺杂碳十二面体纳米结构催化剂的方法,并作为阴极电催化剂用于锌空气电池中,测试结果证实,合成的铁氮共掺杂的纳米碳具有与铂基材料相当的活性和更加优异的稳定性.表面吸附了的邻菲罗啉铁的ZIF-8在碳化过程中,氮基团能够结合铁形成Fe Nx结构单元,因此可得到铁氮共掺杂的电催化剂.粉末X射线衍射,扫描电镜证实ZIF-8的成功合成.经过热解得到的催化剂中Fe Nx或Fe Cx衍射峰较弱,表明样品中铁含量较低,存在部分无定型铁.通过拉曼光谱分析发现,引入的邻菲罗啉在热解过程中诱导了缺陷的形成,所以Fe-NCDNA-0的ID/IG比值明显高于NC.同时ID/IG随着铁含量的增加而减少,这是因为铁可以诱导石墨化,诱导效应随着铁含量的增加而增加.分析氮气吸附-脱附等温线得出,引入邻菲罗啉之后,比表面积增加;而铁的引入因其占据了微孔结构,导致比表面积下降.同时电镜证实Fe-NCDNA-2具有较大的形貌扭曲,使得该材料具有较大的比表面积.系统的电化学研究表明,氮掺杂有利于增强ORR活性,在引入铁之后形成高效的活性中心会进一步提高催化性能.因此, Fe-NCDNA-2在碱性条件下表现出优异的ORR性能.线性扫描伏安法曲线表明,铁氮共掺杂的材料表现出与Pt/C相似的性能,其中Fe-NCDNA-2的半波电位(E1/2)为0.863 V,比商业Pt/C的电位更正(E1/2=0.841 V).同时, Fe-NCDNA-2具有更加优异的稳定性,测试30000 s后的电流保持率为80%(Pt/C:64%).在中性介质中,合成的材料也展示了较高的ORR活性.Fe-NCDNA-2的E1/2=0.715 V,催化30000 s后电流保持率77%,均优于商业Pt/C催化剂.组装的锌空气电池进一步验证其作为氧还原催化剂实际应用的可行性.相比于以Pt/C为催化剂做空气阴极的电池,以Fe-NCDNA-2组装的电池表现出更高的开路电压,更高的功率密度(184 m Wcm~(-2)),以及更加优异的充放电循环稳定性.该工作也有利于启发研究人员探索类似的氮掺杂过渡金属碳材料在各种催化上的应用.     

单源MOF衍生具有三维有序大孔结构的氮掺杂碳包覆铁-氮合金复合材料用于高效氧还原

氧还原反应在一些能源转换系统如金属-空气电池中起着至关重要的作用.目前贵金属基材料(Pt/C)被认为是最有效的氧还原电催化剂,然而价格昂贵和储量有限等因素限制了它的商业化应用,因此探索高效的非贵金属氧还原电催化剂具有重要的意义.近年来,负载过渡金属铁的多孔碳催化剂由于独特的结构和优异的氧还原催化活性成为替代铂基催化剂最有潜力的候选者.该类材料的合成通常采用直接煅烧含有氮源、碳源和铁盐的混合前驱体的制备方法,但是热解时材料的多孔结构以及活性位点的均匀分布很难得到有效的控制.近年来,金属有机框架(MOFs)由于其多孔结构和组成可控等优点而经常被用作自牺牲模板来制备负载铁基纳米材料的多孔碳催化剂,并表现出优异的电催化活性.目前以MOF为前驱体制备高活性的载铁氮掺杂碳复合材料通常需要引入额外的氮源或铁源,因此选择氮含量丰富的铁基MOF材料作为单源前驱体制备载铁氮掺杂多孔碳复合材料具有重要的意义.除此之外,具有多级孔隙率的催化剂可以改善反应时的传质过程,同时有序交联的网络结构能够提供连续的电子传输.本文报道了一种简单可控的制备具有三维有序大孔结构的载铁氮掺杂多孔碳复合催化剂的合成方法,该材料表现出优异的电催化氧气还原性能和优异的催化稳定性.首先,以氮含量丰富的双氰胺和吡嗪配体所构筑的Fe-MOF作为前驱体,利用具有均一尺寸的聚苯乙烯微球作为造孔剂,合成得到了具有三维有序大孔结构的Fe-MOF前驱体,然后通过高温煅烧该单源前驱体制备得到具有三维有序大孔结构的氮掺杂多孔碳包覆铁-氮合金的复合型催化剂(3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC).扫描电镜和透射电镜结果表明,材料内形成了有序交联的大孔结构;氮气吸附测试表明,刻蚀之后材料的比表面积明显增加,结合分级多孔特性可以共同促进催化反应的传质过程.粉末X射线衍射结果证实了多孔碳材料中铁和铁-氮合金物种的成功合成.电化学测试结果表明,在0.1 M KOH电解液中,3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC-800催化剂表现出优于Pt/C的氧还原活性,其半波电位(E_1/2)为0.88 V,大于商业Pt/C的半波电位(E_1/2=0.85 V).同时,3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC-800表现出更加优异的稳定性,经过20000 s测试后,其电流保持率为94%,而Pt/C只保持了78%.关于活性位点探究的对比实验证明在所制备的复合材料中,铁物种作为高效的活性位点参与了电催化氧还原反应,与氮掺杂多孔碳之间的协同作用共同主导了3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC优异的氧还原活性.得益于其优异的氧还原活性,将其作为阴极活性材料组装为锌-空气电池进一步探究了其在实际应用中的可行性.本结果拓宽了高效的铁基催化剂的类型,同时也为制备封装非贵金属的多孔碳基催化剂提供了实验指导和理论依据.     

一步热解核黄素制备高性能氧还原反应电催化剂（英文）

质子交换膜燃料电池具有零污染、能量密度高、操作温度低和超静低音等优点,因而广泛应用于新能源汽车动力电源.然而质子交换膜燃料电池阴极氧还原反应(ORR)过程缓慢且复杂,因此需要大量的高性能ORR电催化剂.商品铂基催化剂是目前最为广泛使用的ORR催化剂,然而其高昂的价格阻碍了燃料电池汽车的商业化进程.因此,近年来人们致力于研发高性能的非贵金属ORR催化剂,并成功获得了具有高ORR活性及优异稳定性的催化剂.然而开发贵金属替代催化剂还存在制备过程较为复杂、单体有毒等缺点.核黄素具有成本低廉、无毒、氮含量高等优点,本文将其直接作为碳源和氮源,以无水氯化铁为铁前驱体,通过简单的一步热解法制备了高性能的Fe–N–C催化剂.表征结果表明,合成的催化剂表面由于氮的掺杂导致石墨烯存在较多的缺陷,其比表面积为301 m~2g~(–1)且孔径分布主要位于45 nm处;催化剂由很薄、卷曲的石墨烯片层和一些颗粒组成,其中的碳材料高度石墨化且存在Fe_2O_3晶体.结合X射线光电子能谱和催化剂的ORR活性,推导出石墨化氮为ORR的主要活性位,铁在ORR反应中也起着重要作用.在氧气饱和的0.1 mol L~(–1) KOH溶液中,Fe–N–C催化剂的ORR活性达到4.16 mA cm~(–2),与商品Pt/C催化剂相当(4.46 mA cm~(–2)).采用计时电流法在0.66 V(相对于RHE电位)下运行3 h后,Fe–N–C催化剂电流仅下降了3%,而Pt/C催化剂下降了40%,表明Fe–N–C催化剂与Pt/C催化剂具有相近的ORR活性,但稳定性比Pt/C催化剂更出色.测试结果表明,Fe–N–C催化剂的抗甲醇毒化性能远优于Pt/C催化剂.在酸性介质中,Fe–N–C催化剂的ORR活性比Pt/C催化剂低,但稳定性更高.总之,该Fe–N–C催化剂在碱性介质中有较高的活性和稳定性,在酸性介质中有较高的稳定性.因此,我们采用廉价、无毒的核黄素作为碳氮源,通过简单的一步热解法制备出的Fe–N–C催化剂能较好地满足燃料电池ORR催化剂高性能和低成本的要求,具有很好的应用前景.     

Ya‐Ru Lv,Xue‐Jing Zhai,Shan Wang,Hong Xu,Rui Wang #, Shuang‐Quan Zang

氧还原反应在一些能源转换系统如金属-空气电池中起着至关重要的作用.目前贵金属基材料(Pt/C)被认为是最有效的氧还原电催化剂,然而价格昂贵和储量有限等因素限制了它的商业化应用,因此探索高效的非贵金属氧还原电催化剂具有重要的意义.近年来,负载过渡金属铁的多孔碳催化剂由于独特的结构和优异的氧还原催化活性成为替代铂基催化剂最有潜力的候选者.该类材料的合成通常采用直接煅烧含有氮源、碳源和铁盐的混合前驱体的制备方法,但是热解时材料的多孔结构以及活性位点的均匀分布很难得到有效的控制.近年来,金属有机框架(MOFs)由于其多孔结构和组成可控等优点而经常被用作自牺牲模板来制备负载铁基纳米材料的多孔碳催化剂,并表现出优异的电催化活性.目前以MOF为前驱体制备高活性的载铁氮掺杂碳复合材料通常需要引入额外的氮源或铁源,因此选择氮含量丰富的铁基MOF材料作为单源前驱体制备载铁氮掺杂多孔碳复合材料具有重要的意义.除此之外,具有多级孔隙率的催化剂可以改善反应时的传质过程,同时有序交联的网络结构能够提供连续的电子传输.本文报道了一种简单可控的制备具有三维有序大孔结构的载铁氮掺杂多孔碳复合催化剂的合成方法,该材料表现出优异的电催化氧气还原性能和优异的催化稳定性.首先,以氮含量丰富的双氰胺和吡嗪配体所构筑的Fe-MOF作为前驱体,利用具有均一尺寸的聚苯乙烯微球作为造孔剂,合成得到了具有三维有序大孔结构的Fe-MOF前驱体,然后通过高温煅烧该单源前驱体制备得到具有三维有序大孔结构的氮掺杂多孔碳包覆铁-氮合金的复合型催化剂(3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC).扫描电镜和透射电镜结果表明,材料内形成了有序交联的大孔结构;氮气吸附测试表明,刻蚀之后材料的比表面积明显增加,结合分级多孔特性可以共同促进催化反应的传质过程.粉末X射线衍射结果证实了多孔碳材料中铁和铁-氮合金物种的成功合成.电化学测试结果表明,在0.1 MKOH电解液中, 3DOMFe/Fe-NA@NC-800催化剂表现出优于Pt/C的氧还原活性,其半波电位(E1/2)为0.88 V,大于商业Pt/C的半波电位(E1/2=0.85 V).同时, 3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC-800表现出更加优异的稳定性,经过20000 s测试后,其电流保持率为94%,而Pt/C只保持了78%.关于活性位点探究的对比实验证明在所制备的复合材料中,铁物种作为高效的活性位点参与了电催化氧还原反应,与氮掺杂多孔碳之间的协同作用共同主导了3DOM Fe/Fe-NA@NC优异的氧还原活性.得益于其优异的氧还原活性,将其作为阴极活性材料组装为锌-空气电池进一步探究了其在实际应用中的可行性.本结果拓宽了高效的铁基催化剂的类型,同时也为制备封装非贵金属的多孔碳基催化剂提供了实验指导和理论依据.     

一步热解核黄素制备高性能氧还原反应电催化剂

质子交换膜燃料电池具有零污染、能量密度高、操作温度低和超静低音等优点,因而广泛应用于新能源汽车动力电源.然而质子交换膜燃料电池阴极氧还原反应(ORR)过程缓慢且复杂,因此需要大量的高性能ORR电催化剂.商品铂基催化剂是目前最为广泛使用的ORR催化剂,然而其高昂的价格阻碍了燃料电池汽车的商业化进程.因此,近年来人们致力于研发高性能的非贵金属ORR催化剂,并成功获得了具有高ORR活性及优异稳定性的催化剂.然而开发贵金属替代催化剂还存在制备过程较为复杂、单体有毒等缺点.核黄素具有成本低廉、无毒、氮含量高等优点,本文将其直接作为碳源和氮源,以无水氯化铁为铁前驱体,通过简单的一步热解法制备了高性能的Fe-N-C催化剂.表征结果表明,合成的催化剂表面由于氮的掺杂导致石墨烯存在较多的缺陷,其比表面积为301 m2 g-1且孔径分布主要位于45 nm处;催化剂由很薄、卷曲的石墨烯片层和一些颗粒组成,其中的碳材料高度石墨化且存在Fe2O3晶体.结合X射线光电子能谱和催化剂的ORR活性,推导出石墨化氮为ORR的主要活性位,铁在ORR反应中也起着重要作用.在氧气饱和的0.1 mol L-1 KOH溶液中,Fe-N-C催化剂的ORR活性达到4.16 mA cm-2,与商品Pt/C催化剂相当(4.46 mA cm-2).采用计时电流法在0.66 V(相对于RHE电位)下运行3 h后,Fe-N-C催化剂电流仅下降了3%,而Pt/C催化剂下降了40%,表明Fe-N-C催化剂与Pt/C催化剂具有相近的ORR活性,但稳定性比Pt/C催化剂更出色.测试结果表明,Fe-N-C催化剂的抗甲醇毒化性能远优于Pt/C催化剂.在酸性介质中,Fe-N-C催化剂的ORR活性比Pt/C催化剂低,但稳定性更高.总之,该Fe-N-C催化剂在碱性介质中有较高的活性和稳定性,在酸性介质中有较高的稳定性.因此,我们采用廉价、无毒的核黄素作为碳氮源,通过简单的一步热解法制备出的Fe-N-C催化剂能较好地满足燃料电池ORR催化剂高性能和低成本的要求,具有很好的应用前景.     

基于金属有机框架衍生的Fe-N-C纳米复合材料作为高效的氧还原催化剂（英文）

开发用于氧还原反应(ORR)的低成本和高性能的非贵金属催化剂(NPMC)对于燃料电池的商业化至关重要。在这里,我们介绍了一种简单合成的由Fe3C纳米粒子包裹在介孔N掺杂碳(Fe-NC)中的NPMC材料,包括MIL-100(Fe)与葡萄糖和尿素的物理混合,以及随后在惰性气体下的热解。由此获得的Fe-N-C-900 (在900°C下制备的材料)表现出优异的电催化活性,高耐久性和对ORR卓越的甲醇耐受性,其催化性能与商业Pt/C在碱性介质中的催化性能相当。Fe-N-C-900在ORR中表现出优异的催化活性和稳定性,这是由于其较大的BET比表面积,较大的孔体积,氮掺杂剂,活性Fe3C纳米粒子以及其中活性官能团之间的协同效应。     

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.     

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（英文）

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 m~2/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 m~2/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(E_o)为1.08 V(vs.RHE),半波电位(E_(1/2))0.88 V,电子转移数n接近4,H_2O_2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E_(1/2)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 HClO_4)中,Fe-N-C的E_o为0.85 V,E_(1/2)为0.75 V,其E_(1/2)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-N_4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/cm~2(Pt/C),而采用碱性电解质膜的则分别为33(Fe-N-C)和8 mW/cm~2(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.     

FeCl_3模板辅助法由质子盐制备氮、硫、铁三掺杂碳纳米片及其催化氧还原反应（英文）

作为一种新型能源技术,燃料电池具有能源转化效率高、燃料可再生、运行安全清洁等优点,因而在应对全球持续增长的能源、环境问题方面受到广泛的研究.但是,燃料电池的阴极氧还原反应(ORR)存在动力学缓慢的固有特性,其反应过电位高,需要在催化剂的辅助下才能顺利发生反应并提供足够的电极电势.目前ORR催化性能最优的是铂基催化剂,但其存在着资源稀缺、价格昂贵、循环寿命差等缺陷,这也是制约燃料电池商业化应用的主要因素.因而要想实现燃料电池的大规模应用,寻找新的可替代铂基催化剂、且储量丰富、价格低廉的优秀ORR催化剂成为了研究的热点.近几年来,杂原子掺杂的碳材料以其价格低、催化性能卓越、优异的稳定性和抗甲醇性能等优点,逐渐发展成为最有前景的ORR催化剂.本文以FeCl_3为模板和铁源,质子盐对苯二胺(PPS)为碳、氮、硫源,采用简单的一步中和法制备氮、硫、铁三掺杂的二维介孔碳纳米片催化剂(NSFC).TEM和BET结果显示,Fe Cl3不仅起到了二维模板的作用,同时在热处理过程中与无定形碳发生作用形成了丰富的介孔,大大提高了材料的比表面积和结构开放性,为ORR反应提供了反应场所.XPS结果显示,质子盐中和合成法不仅有效地简化了NSFC的合成步骤,而且能够灵活地控制材料的元素组成,实现了氮和硫的原位掺杂,有效构筑了杂原子掺杂活性位;同时FeCl_3也为催化剂材料引入了Fe元素,进而形成催化活性更加优异的Fe-Nx活性位.电化学测试结果表明,通过调整FeC l3和PPS的比例,NSFC-3催化剂材料在结构形貌和表面功能达到了同时最优化,获得了与商业30 wt%Pt/C可比的催化性能,其起始电位和极限电流密度分别达到了–0.03 V和5.05 mA/cm2,同时NSFC-3具有优于商业30wt%Pt/C的催化选择性、稳定性和抗甲醇性能.这源于稳定的二维纳米片层结构、丰富的表面介孔结构、大的比表面积和活性位点暴露率以及多种催化活性位点的协同催化效应.     

FeCl3模板辅助法由质子盐制备氮、硫、铁三掺杂碳纳米片及其催化氧还原反应

作为一种新型能源技术,燃料电池具有能源转化效率高、燃料可再生、运行安全清洁等优点,因而在应对全球持续增长的能源、环境问题方面受到广泛的研究.但是,燃料电池的阴极氧还原反应(ORR)存在动力学缓慢的固有特性,其反应过电位高,需要在催化剂的辅助下才能顺利发生反应并提供足够的电极电势.目前ORR催化性能最优的是铂基催化剂,但其存在着资源稀缺、价格昂贵、循环寿命差等缺陷,这也是制约燃料电池商业化应用的主要因素.因而要想实现燃料电池的大规模应用,寻找新的可替代铂基催化剂、且储量丰富、价格低廉的优秀ORR催化剂成为了研究的热点.近几年来,杂原子掺杂的碳材料以其价格低、催化性能卓越、优异的稳定性和抗甲醇性能等优点,逐渐发展成为最有前景的ORR催化剂.本文以FeCl3为模板和铁源,质子盐对苯二胺(PPS)为碳、氮、硫源,采用简单的一步中和法制备氮、硫、铁三掺杂的二维介孔碳纳米片催化剂(NSFC).TEM和BET结果显示,FeCl3不仅起到了二维模板的作用,同时在热处理过程中与无定形碳发生作用形成了丰富的介孔,大大提高了材料的比表面积和结构开放性,为ORR反应提供了反应场所.XPS结果显示,质子盐中和合成法不仅有效地简化了NSFC的合成步骤,而且能够灵活地控制材料的元素组成,实现了氮和硫的原位掺杂,有效构筑了杂原子掺杂活性位;同时FeCl3也为催化剂材料引入了Fe元素,进而形成催化活性更加优异的Fe-Nx活性位.电化学测试结果表明,通过调整FeCl3和PPS的比例,NSFC-3催化剂材料在结构形貌和表面功能达到了同时最优化,获得了与商业30 wt%Pt/C可比的催化性能,其起始电位和极限电流密度分别达到了–0.03 V和5.05 mA/cm2,同时NSFC-3具有优于商业30 wt%Pt/C的催化选择性、稳定性和抗甲醇性能.这源于稳定的二维纳米片层结构、丰富的表面介孔结构、大的比表面积和活性位点暴露率以及多种催化活性位点的协同催化效应.     

高分散钴氮共掺杂碳纳米纤维氧还原催化剂

过渡金属氮掺杂碳基催化剂已成为替代铂基氧还原反应(ORR)电催化剂的理想选择。本文通过静电纺丝技术制备了高比表面、高度分散的钴原子配位氮掺杂的碳纳米纤维催化剂(Co-N/C)。X射线衍射(XRD)和高分辨率透射电镜(HRTEM)结果证实Co元素高度分散于制备的Co-N/C催化剂中。X射线光电子能谱结果表明N元素主要以吡啶N和石墨N形式存在。该Co-N/C催化剂对ORR反应呈现出较高的电催化活性,其氧还原起始和半波电位分别为0.92 V和0.80 V(相对于标准氢电极),接近于商业化Pt/C催化剂的性能。以制备的Co-N/C催化剂作为阴极,25℃下锌空气燃料电池的开路电位1.54 V、最大功率密度达到了190 m V·cm~(-2)表明该催化剂具有良好的应用前景。     

Self-sacrificial template synthesis of Fe,N co-doped porous carbon as efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalysts towards Zn-air battery application

Designing highly efficient non-precious based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction（ORR） is of significance for the rapid development of metal-air batteries.Herein,a hydrothermal-pyrolysis method is employed to fabricate Fe,N co-doped porous carbon materials as effective ORR electrocatalyst through adopting graphitic carbon nitride（g-C₃ N₄） as both the self-sacrificial templates and N sources.The gC₃ N₄ provides a high concentration of unsatur...     

A comparison study on single metal atoms (Fe,Co, Ni) within nitrogen-doped graphene for oxygen electrocatalysis and rechargeable Zn-air batteries

Single atom catalysts (SACs) with atomically dispersed transition metals on nitrogen-doped carbon supports have recently emerged as highly active non-noble metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), showing great application potential in Zn-air batteries. However, because of the complex structure-performance relationships of carbon-based SACs in the oxygen electrocatalytic reactions, the contribution of different metal atoms to the catalytic activity of SACs in Zn-air batteries still remains ambiguous. In this study, SACs with atomically dispersed transition metals on nitrogen-doped graphene sheets (M-N@Gs, M = Co, Fe and Ni), featured with similar physicochemical properties and M-N@C configurations, are obtained. By comparing the on-set potentials and the maximum current, we observed that the ORR activity is in the order of Co-N@G > Fe-N@G > Ni-N@G, while the OER activity is in the order of Co-N@G > Ni-N@G > Fe-N@G. The Zn-air batteries with Co-N@G as the air cathode catalysts outperform those with the Fe-N@G and Ni-N@G. This is due to the accelerated charge transfer between Co-N@C active sites and the oxygen-containing reactants. This study could improve our understanding of the design of more efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for Zn-air batteries at the atomic level.     

Gelatin-Derived 1D Carbon Nanofiber Architecture with Simultaneous Decoration of Single Fe−Nx Sites and Fe/Fe3C Nanoparticles for Efficient Oxygen Reduction

Exploring high-performance non-precious-metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical. Herein, a scalable and cost-effective strategy is reported for the construction of one-dimensional carbon nanofiber architectures with simultaneous decoration of single Fe−N_x sites and highly dispersed Fe/Fe₃C nanoparticles for efficient ORR, through the Fe^III-complex-assisted electrospinning of gelatin nanofibers with subsequent pre-oxidation and carbonization. Results show that the presence of a Fe^III complex enables the 1D gelatin nanofibers to be well retained during the pre-oxidation process. Owing to the distinct 1D nanofiber structure and the synergistic effect of Fe/Fe₃C and Fe−N_x sites, the resulting electrocatalyst is highly active for ORR with a half-wave potential of 0.885 V (outperforming commercial Pt/C) and a superior electrochemical stability in alkaline electrolytes. Similarly, it also shows a high power density (144.7 mW cm⁻²) and a superior stability in Zn-air batteries. This work opens a path for the design and synthesis of 1D carbon electrocatalyst for efficient ORR catalysis.     

Continuous nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube matrix for boosting oxygen electrocatalysis in rechargeable Zn-air batteries

Developing robust oxygen electrocatalyst with high-performance is very significant for practical rechargeable Zn-air battery.We report herein the preparation of three-dimensional continuous nanocarbon network composed of interconnected nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes and its application as oxygen electrocatalysis in rechargeable Zn-air battery.Except the excellent electrochemical bifunctionality,this carbon nanotube matrix also delivers an impressive battery performance.Specifically,an opencircuit voltage of 1.50 V as well as a high power density of 220 m W cm^-2 with remarkable cycling stability for 1600 h is achieved in the rechargeable Zn-air battery.The study not only provides an efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalyst but more importantly may pave significant concepts in designing robust electrode for long-life rechargeable Zn-air battery and other energy technologies.     

The application of scanning electrochemical microscopy to the discovery of Pd–W electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction that demonstrate high activity, stability, and methanol tolerance

An array of Pd–W alloys was fabricated, and the electrocatalytic activity of the alloys for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic media was screened by scanning electrochemical microscopy. The Pd_0.7W_0.3 showed the highest activity for the ORR, close to that for Pd_0.8Co_0.2 and Pt. A Pd–W electrocatalyst loaded on carbon black was formed by the NaBH₄-reduction method, exhibiting high activity and stability, suggesting that it is a good candidate for the proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathode.     

N,S-Co-Doped Porous Carbon Nanofiber Films Derived from Fullerenes (C60) as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction and a Zn–Air Battery

The development of highly efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has attracted great attention for the creation of electrochemical energy devices. In this study, one-dimensional (1 D) fullerene nanofibers prepared from liquid–liquid interfacial precipitation are first fabricated into fullerene-derived carbon nanofiber films (FCNFs) through a simple filtration procedure. Then, pyrolysis of the FCNFs in the presence of ammonia and sulfur produces N- and S-co-doped porous carbon nanofiber films (N,S-PCNFs). As excellent metal-free electrocatalysts for the ORR, N,S-PCNFs exhibit remarkable catalytic activity, superior stability, and excellent methanol tolerance in both alkaline and acidic solution. Such a high ORR performance benefits from the robust porous nanofiber network structure with high concentrations of active N- and S- groups and abundant defects. Notably, upon practical use of N,S-PCNFs as catalysts in Zn-air batteries, a high power density and a large operating voltage are achieved, with a performance comparable to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. This work presents a facile strategy for the creation of a new class of energy nanomaterials based on fullerenes, demonstrating their practical uses in electrocatalytic ORR processes and Zn-air batteries.     

Three-dimensional nitrogen and phosphorous Co-doped graphene aerogel electrocatalysts for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of importance for fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, three-dimensional nitrogen and phosphorous co-doped graphene aerogel (NPGA) was prepared via the pyrolysis of polyaniline (PANi) coated graphene oxide aerogel synthesized by oxidative polymerization of aniline on graphene oxide (GO) sheets in the presence of phytic acid. The uniform coating of PANi thin layer on the surface of GO sheets enables the formation of highly porous composite aerogel of PANi and GO. The subsequent thermal treatment is able to prepare the porous NPGA due to the carbonization of PANi and phytic acid as nitrogen and phosphorous resources. When used as electrocatalysts, the as-prepared NPGA electrocatalysts exhibited good catalytic activity to ORR via an efficient four-electron pathway with good stability, benefiting from the highly porous structure and the heteroatom co-doping. More importantly, Zn-air batteries operated in ambient air have been fabricated by coupling a Zn plate with the NPGA electrocatalyst in an air electrode, demonstrating the maximal power density as high as ～260 W/g and a good long-term stability with slightly potential decay for over 450 h. The facile method for preparing efficient carbon based ORR electrocatalysts would generate other potential applications including fuel cells and others.     

Oxygen Reduction Reaction in a Droplet on Graphite: Direct Evidence that the Edge Is More Active than the Basal Plane

Carbon‐based metal‐free electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium have been extensively investigated with the aim of replacing the commercially available, but precious platinum‐based catalysts. For the proper design of carbon‐based metal‐free electrocatalysts for the ORR, it would be interesting to identify the active sites of the electrocatalyst. The ORR was now studied with an air‐saturated electrolyte solution droplet (diameter ca. 15 μm), which was deposited at a specified position either on the edge or on the basal plane of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite. Electrochemical measurements suggest that the edge carbon atoms are more active than the basal‐plane ones for the ORR. This provides a direct way to identify the active sites of carbon materials for the ORR. Ball‐milled graphite and carbon nanotubes with more exposed edges were also prepared and showed significantly enhanced ORR activity. DFT calculations elucidated the mechanism by which the charged edge carbon atoms result in the higher ORR activity.     

Designed preparation of CoS/Co/MoC nanoparticles incorporated in N and S dual-doped porous carbon nanofibers for high-performance Zn-air batteries

The development of low-cost and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is of critical importance for clean energy devices such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries.Herein,a sophisticated na nostructure composed of CoS,Co and MoC nanoparticles incorporated in N and S dual-doped porous carbon nanofibers(CoS/Co/MoC-N,SPCNFs) as a high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalyst is designed and synthesized via an efficient multistep strategy.The as-prepared CoS/Co/MoC-N,S-PCNFs exhibit a positive half-wave potential(E_(1/2)) of0.871 V for ORR and a low overpotential of 289 mV at 10 mA/cm~2 for OER,outperforming the non-noble metal-based catalysts reported.Furthermore,the assembled Zn-air battery based on CoS/Co/MoC-N,SPCNFs delivers an excellent power density(169.1 mW/cm~2),a large specific capacity(819.3 mAh/g) and robust durability,demonstrating the great potential of the as-developed bifunctional electrocatalyst in practical applications.This work is expected to inspire the design of advanced bifunctional nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts for energy storage.