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Nitrogen doping of carbon nanoballoons by radiofrequency magnetron plasma and evaluation of their oxygen reduction reaction activity
Author(s) -
Takahashi Ryota,
Harigai Toru,
Tanimoto Tsuyoshi,
Takikawa Hirofumi,
Setaka Toshiya,
Nakamura Junji,
Suda Yoshiyuki
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
electronics and communications in japan
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.131
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1942-9541
pISSN - 1942-9533
DOI - 10.1002/ecj.12172
Subject(s) - x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , materials science , carbon fibers , pyrolytic carbon , nitrogen , catalysis , oxygen , hydrogen , doping , cyclic voltammetry , analytical chemistry (journal) , annealing (glass) , inorganic chemistry , nuclear chemistry , chemistry , chemical engineering , electrode , pyrolysis , electrochemistry , composite number , organic chemistry , composite material , optoelectronics , engineering
Nitrogen‐doped carbon materials exhibit a catalytic activity, such as an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this study, we performed nitrogen doping on a carbon nanoballoon (CNB), which is a nanometer‐sized carbon particle in the form of a hollow sphere made of graphite by radiofrequency (RF) magnetron plasma in a gas mixture of nitrogen and helium. Nitrogen‐doped CNBs (N‐doped CNBs) were prepared by different plasma irradiation conditions: the sample installation positions, input powers, and irradiation times. The samples were examined for chemical state by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Hydrodynamic voltammetry was used for the evaluation of the catalytic activity of a N‐doped CNB with a pyridinic N concentration of 0.4‐1.0 at.%. As a result, the onset potential was measured to be 0.13 V versus RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode), which was close to the previously reported data of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) with a pyridinic N concentration of 0.57 at.%, which was prepared by annealing under NH 3 .