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Well‐Combined Magnetically Separable Hybrid Cobalt Ferrite/Nitrogen‐Doped Graphene as Efficient Catalyst with Superior Performance for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Author(s) -
Lu Lei,
Hao Qingli,
Lei Wu,
Xia Xifeng,
Liu Peng,
Sun Dongping,
Wang Xin,
Yang Xujie
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
small
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.785
H-Index - 236
eISSN - 1613-6829
pISSN - 1613-6810
DOI - 10.1002/smll.201502322
Subject(s) - catalysis , materials science , oxide , graphene , calcination , spinel , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , methanol , cobalt , crystallinity , metal , nanotechnology , chemistry , organic chemistry , metallurgy , composite material , engineering
Catalysts with low‐cost, high activity and stability toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are extremely desirable, but its development still remains a great challenge. Here, a novel magnetically separable hybrid of multimetal oxide, cobalt ferrite (CoFe 2 O 4 ), anchored on nitrogen‐doped reduced graphene oxide (CoFe 2 O 4 /NG) is prepared via a facile solvothermal method followed by calcination at 500 °C. The structure of CoFe 2 O 4 /NG and the interaction of both components are analyzed by several techniques. The possible formation of Co/FeN interaction in the CoFe 2 O 4 /NG catalyst is found. As a result, the well‐combination of CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles with NG and its improved crystallinity lead to a synergistic and efficient catalyst with high performance to ORR through a four‐electron‐transfer process in alkaline medium. The CoFe 2 O 4 /NG exhibits particularly comparable catalytic activity as commercial Pt/C catalyst, and superior stability against methanol oxidation and CO poisoning. Meanwhile, it has been proved that both nitrogen doping and the spinel structure of CoFe 2 O 4 can have a significant contribution to the catalytic activity by contrast experiments. Multimetal oxide hybrid demonstrates better catalysis to ORR than a single metal oxide hybrid. All results make the low‐cost and magnetically separable CoFe 2 O 4 /NG a promising alternative for costly platinum‐based ORR catalyst in fuel cells and metal‐air batteries.