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MOF‐Based Metal‐Doping‐Induced Synthesis of Hierarchical Porous CuN/C Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts for Zn–Air Batteries
Author(s) -
Lai Qingxue,
Zhu Junjie,
Zhao Yingxuan,
Liang Yanyu,
He Jianping,
Chen Junhong
Publication year - 2017
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.201700740
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , catalysis , zeolitic imidazolate framework , materials science , metal organic framework , imidazolate , metal , battery (electricity) , chemical engineering , transition metal , inorganic chemistry , carbon fibers , doping , oxygen evolution , chemistry , electrode , electrochemistry , adsorption , metallurgy , organic chemistry , composite number , composite material , power (physics) , physics , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , engineering
A transition‐metal–nitrogen/carbon (TM–N/C, TM = Fe, Co, Ni, etc.) system is a popular, nonprecious‐metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst for fuel cell and metal–air battery applications. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive understanding about the ORR electrocatalytic mechanism on these catalysts, especially the roles of different forms of metal species on electrocatalytic performance. Here, a novel CuN/C ORR electrocatalyst with a hybrid Cu coordination site is successfully fabricated with a simple but efficient metal–organic‐framework‐based, metal‐doping‐induced synthesis strategy. By directly pyrolyzing Cu‐doped zeolitic‐imidazolate‐framework‐8 polyhedrons, the obtained CuN/C catalyst can achieve a high specific surface area of 1182 m 2 g −1 with a refined hierarchical porous structure and a high surface N content of 11.05 at%. Moreover, regulating the Cu loading can efficiently tune the states of Cu(II) and Cu 0 , resulting in the successful construction of a highly active hybrid coordination site of NCu(II)Cu 0 in derived CuN/C catalysts. As a result, the optimized 25% CuN/C catalyst possesses a high ORR activity and stability in 0.1 m KOH solution, as well as excellent performance and stability in a Zn–air battery.