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Soft‐Templating Synthesis of N ‐Doped Mesoporous Carbon Nanospheres for Enhanced Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Author(s) -
Bayatsarmadi Bita,
Zheng Yao,
Jaroniec Mietek,
Qiao Shi Zhang
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemistry – an asian journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.18
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1861-471X
pISSN - 1861-4728
DOI - 10.1002/asia.201500287
Subject(s) - carbonization , carbon fibers , mesoporous material , materials science , heteroatom , chemical engineering , nitrogen , catalysis , nanotechnology , porosity , oxygen , conductivity , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , scanning electron microscope , composite number , ring (chemistry) , engineering
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.