Design of active and stable oxygen reduction reaction catalysts by embedding Co x O y nanoparticles into nitrogen-doped carbon

作者：Yang, Fan; Abadia, Mikel; Chen, Chaoqiu; Wang, Weike; Li, Le; Zhang, Lianbing^*; Rogero, Celia; Chuvilin, Andrey; Knez, Mato^*

来源：Nano Research, 2017, 10(1): 97-107.

DOI：10.1007/s12274-016-1269-5

• atomic layer deposition
• cobalt oxide
• polydopamine
• oxygen reduction reaction

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential in research pertaining to life science and energy. In applications, platinum-based catalysts give ideal reactivity, but, in practice, are often subject to high costs and poor stability. Some cost-efficient transition metal oxides have exhibited excellent ORR reactivity, but the stability and durability of such alternative catalyst materials pose serious challenges. Here, we present a facile method to fabricate uniform Co (x) O (y) nanoparticles and embed them into N-doped carbon, which results in a composite of extraordinary stability and durability, while maintaining its high reactivity. The half-wave potential shows a negative shift of only 21 mV after 10,000 cycles, only one third of that observed for Pt/C (63 mV). Furthermore, after 100,000 s testing at a constant potential, the current decreases by only 17%, significantly less than for Pt/C (35%). The exceptional stability and durability results from the system architecture, which comprises a thin carbon shell that prevents agglomeration of the Co (x) O (y) nanoparticles and their detaching from the substrate.

• 出版日期2017-1
• 单位西北工业大学