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Oxygen Electroreduction on Nanoporous Carbons: Textural Features vs Nitrogen and Boron Catalytic Centers
Author(s) -
Florent Marc,
Wallace Rajiv,
Bandosz Teresa J.
Publication year - 2019
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.201801675
Subject(s) - heteroatom , catalysis , nanoporous , chemistry , porosity , boron , electron transfer , oxygen , carbon fibers , adsorption , metal , nitrogen , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , materials science , organic chemistry , ring (chemistry) , composite number , engineering , composite material
Porous carbons containing either B and N heteroatom (∼10 at.% each) or B‐ and N‐free were synthesized and used as ORR metal‐free catalysts. The number of electron transfer was close to 4 (3.94) regardless the presence or not of heteroatom‐based catalytic centers, and the onset potential reached 0.827 V (on Pt/C 0.888 V). The carbons were extensively characterized from the viewpoints of their surface chemistry and porosity. The results indicated that a high volume of small pores where oxygen can be strongly adsorbed enhances the ORR efficiency, positively affecting the number of electron transfer and the value of the onset potential. On carbons with moderate volume of ultramicropores, N and B catalytic centers compensate the porosity effect enhancing the performance. These two mechanisms of ORR can coexist leading to a very efficient process on metal free carbon‐based porous catalysts.