碳基无金属氧还原电催化剂研究的新进展

以替代铂为目标的高性能廉价氧还原电催化剂的研究为当今科学前沿. 近年来人们发现, 掺杂的碳基纳米结构具有催化活性高、稳定性好、资源丰富、抗CO和抗甲醇能力强等优点, 是一种新型无金属氧还原电催化剂, 具有替代铂基催化剂的潜力. 本文结合作者课题组的最新研究成果, 简要综述了碳基无金属氧还原电催化剂研究的主要进展, 重点关注了富电子氮和缺电子硼单/共掺杂的碳纳米结构的氧还原催化性能及其与电子结构的关系, 展望了碳基无金属氧还原催化剂的发展策略与前景.

A mini review on carbon-based metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Exploration of low-cost and high-performance oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts to replace Pt-based catalysts is now undergoing fast and dynamic development. Metal-free carbon-based ORR electrocatalysts have interesting catalytic activities, high stabilities, and good CO and methanol tolerances, and their constituents are abundantly available. They are therefore potential alternatives to Pt-based catalysts. This paper briefly reviews the main progress in this emerging field, in combination with studies performed by our group. Special attention is paid to electron-rich N or electron-deficient B mono-/co-doped carbon nanostructures, and the correlation between the ORR activity and the electronic structure of the sp² carbon material. The bright perspectives are speculated for this new kind of promising metal-free ORR electrocatalysts.