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Cobalt@Nitrogen‐Doped Porous Carbon Fiber Derived from the Electrospun Fiber of Bimetal–Organic Framework for Highly Active Oxygen Reduction
Author(s) -
Bai Qing,
Shen FengCui,
Li ShunLi,
Liu Jiang,
Dong LongZhang,
Wang ZengMei,
Lan YaQian
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
small methods
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.66
H-Index - 46
ISSN - 2366-9608
DOI - 10.1002/smtd.201800049
Subject(s) - carbonization , catalysis , cobalt , polyacrylonitrile , materials science , zeolitic imidazolate framework , chemical engineering , nanofiber , carbon fibers , methanol , transition metal , metal organic framework , porosity , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , chemistry , polymer , organic chemistry , composite material , metallurgy , adsorption , scanning electron microscope , composite number , engineering
The exploitation of high‐efficiency, cost‐effective, and stable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is extremely critical for energy storage and conversion technology. The transition metal carbonitrides have been investigated as an alternative to precious metal‐based catalysts. Here, a series of uniform Co nanoparticles encapsulated in nitrogen‐doped porous carbon fibers (Co@N‐PCFs for brevity) are designed and synthesized by directly carbonizing the Zn x Co 1– x ‐zeolitic imidazolate frameworks@polyacrylonitrile (Zn x Co 1– x ‐ZIFs@PAN) electrospun nanofibers. By precisely controlling the Zn/Co molar ratio in the Zn x Co 1– x ‐ZIFs precursor and carbonization temperature, a higher activity and stability ORR catalyst of Co@N‐PCF‐3 is prepared. The results reveal that Co@N‐PCF‐3 exhibits outstanding ORR activity outperformed commercial Pt/C with more positive half‐wave potential of −134 mV versus Ag/AgCl, high selectivity to four‐electron pathway ( n ≈ 3.9), as well as remarkable stability and methanol tolerance. Remarkably, it is one of the highest ORR catalysts among the cobalt carbonitrides reported in the literature.