Soft‐Templating Synthesis of N‐Doped Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction |
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Authors: | Bita Bayatsarmadi Dr Yao Zheng Prof Mietek Jaroniec Prof Shi Zhang Qiao |
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Institution: | 1. School of Chemical Engineering, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia;2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA |
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Abstract: | The development of ordered mesoporous carbon materials with controllable structures and improved physicochemical properties by doping heteroatoms such as nitrogen into the carbon framework has attracted a lot of attention, especially in relation to energy storage and conversion. Herein, a series of nitrogen‐doped mesoporous carbon spheres (NMCs) was synthesized via a facile dual soft‐templating procedure by tuning the nitrogen content and carbonization temperature. Various physical and (electro)chemical properties of the NMCs have been comprehensively investigated to pave the way for a feasible design of nitrogen‐containing porous carbon materials. The optimized sample showed a favorable electrocatalytic activity as evidenced by a high kinetic current and positive onset potential for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to its large surface area, high pore volume, good conductivity, and high nitrogen content, which make it a highly efficient ORR metal‐free catalyst in alkaline solutions. |
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Keywords: | electrocatalyst mesoporous carbon nitrogen-doping oxygen reduction reaction soft-templating |
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