Premium
Covalent Grafting of Carbon Nanotubes with a Biomimetic Heme Model Compound To Enhance Oxygen Reduction Reactions
Author(s) -
Wei PingJie,
Yu GuoQiang,
Naruta Yoshinori,
Liu JinGang
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201403133
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , catalysis , covalent bond , chemistry , carbon nanotube , porphyrin , oxygen reduction reaction , combinatorial chemistry , materials science , nanotechnology , electrochemistry , photochemistry , organic chemistry , electrode
Abstract The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is one of the most important reactions in both life processes and energy conversion systems. The replacement of noble‐metal Pt‐based ORR electrocatalysts by nonprecious‐metal catalysts is crucial for the large‐scale commercialization of automotive fuel cells. Inspired by the mechanisms of dioxygen activation by metalloenzymes, herein we report a structurally well‐defined, bio‐inspired ORR catalyst that consists of a biomimetic model compound—an axial imidazole‐coordinated porphyrin—covalently attached to multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Without pyrolysis, this bio‐inspired electrocatalyst demonstrates superior ORR activity and stability compared to those of the state‐of‐the‐art Pt/C catalyst in both acidic and alkaline solutions, thus making it a promising alternative as an ORR electrocatalyst for application in fuel‐cell technology.