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Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Nanosheets Encapsulating Cobalt Nanoparticle Hybrids as High‐Performance Bifunctional Electrocatalysts
Author(s) -
Zheng Dandan,
Ci Suqin,
Cai Pingwei,
Wang Genxiang,
Wen Zhenhai
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201900355
Subject(s) - bifunctional , catalysis , materials science , cobalt , oxygen evolution , electrolyte , chemical engineering , reversible hydrogen electrode , nanoparticle , carbon fibers , battery (electricity) , cathode , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , electrochemistry , chemistry , working electrode , metallurgy , composite number , organic chemistry , composite material , power (physics) , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Abstract Developing efficient and low‐cost catalysts with excellent catalytic activities for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of significance for large‐scale commercial applications in rechargeable Zn−air batteries and fuel cells. Herein, we develop a simple, mild and efficient method to synthesize a hybrid of N‐doped carbon nanosheets encapsulating cobalt nanoparticles (Co@NCNSs), which shows favorable catalytic properties toward both ORR and OER with high activity and good stability. The optimized hybrids (Co@NCNSs‐900) exhibit an onset potential of 0.95 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) and a half‐wave potential of 0.85 V vs. RHE for the ORR, and an onset potential of 1.51 V vs. RHE, a potential of 1.59 V vs. RHE at 10 mA cm −2 for the OER, as well as an oxygen electrode activity parameter (Δ E ) of 0.802 V in alkaline electrolyte. Moreover, the Zn−air battery with the Co@NCNSs‐900 as the cathode catalyst outperforms that with the commercial Pt/C as cathode catalyst in terms of the maximum power density and stability, showing great prospects in renewable energy applications.