Affiliation:
1. School of Electrical Engineering Nanchang Institute of Technology No. 289 Tianxiang Road 330099 Nanchang Jiangxi P. R. China
2. Special Glass Key Lab of Hainan Province School of Materials Science and Engineering Hainan University No. 58 Renmin Avenue 570228 Haikou Hainan P. R. China
3. Institute of Applied Chemistry Jiangxi Academy of Sciences No. 7777 Changdong Avenue 330096 Nanchang Jiangxi P. R. China
4. CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering Chinese Academy of Sciences No. 16 Luhuitou Road 572000 Sanya Hainan P. R. China
Abstract
AbstractDeveloping highly active and stable nanocarbon electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline medium has attracted much attention due to their potential as an alternative to traditional metal‐based or noble metal catalysts. Herein, a unique micro‐nano structure of (B, N)‐rich B−C−N nanosheet‐assembled microwires (BCNNAM) were synthesized and driven electrochemical oxide reduction reaction. The diameter of the microwires about 1 μm, while the nanosheets have an average thickness of less than 20 nm. The compact nanosheets are mostly separated with a bending, curling and crumpling morphology. All those constitutes a ternary system with large surface area and abundant activity sites facilitate fast mass/electron transport for ORR catalytic activity. Thus, the B, N‐rich B−C−N nanosheet‐assembled microwires show significantly improved electrocatalytic activity with an onset potential of 0.95 V and half‐wave potential of 0.83 V compared to BNNAM, nitride‐doped carbon, porous carbon and a commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst. Such high catalytic performance of B, N‐rich B−C−N micro‐nano structures is due to the enhanced activity by the coexistence of B, C and N and the mass transfer promoted by the unique hierarchical porous structure.
Funder
Foundation of Jiangxi Educational Commission
Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province
Subject
Materials Chemistry,Energy Engineering and Power Technology,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Biomaterials