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Improving the Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction Activity of Manganese Oxide Nanosheets with Sulfurization‐Induced Nanopores
Author(s) -
Zhang Tianran,
Ge Xiaoming,
Zhang Zhao,
Tham Nguk Neng,
Liu Zhaolin,
Fisher Adrian,
Lee Jim Yang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.201701192
Subject(s) - manganese , oxide , electrochemistry , manganese oxide , nanoporous , inorganic chemistry , oxygen , oxygen evolution , chemistry , catalysis , metal , materials science , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , electrode , organic chemistry , engineering
Low‐cost and high‐activity electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are necessary for the development of fuel cells and metal‐air batteries. Manganese oxide would be a good candidate because of its low cost, abundant supply, and environmental benignity if not for its relatively low activity compared with noble metals. To improve the ORR activity of manganese oxide, we developed a sulfurization process to create pores in 2 D manganese oxide nanosheets. The nanoporous MnO 2 nanosheets (np‐MnO 2 ‐ns) prepared as such contain 7 nm pores in the nanosheets and their half‐wave potential (0.73 V) is 40 mV more positive than that of pore‐free MnO 2 nanosheets (0.69 V). The higher ORR activity of np‐MnO 2 ‐ns may be attributed to the combination of a large surface area and the presence of high‐ORR‐activity Mn 3+/4+ sites. The np‐MnO 2 ‐ns also showed an enhanced oxygen evolution reaction activity and delivered a good performance in rechargeable Zn‐air batteries.