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Nano Research 2020, 13(3): 752-758 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2689-9
Research Article | Issue | Published: 22 February 2020

Graphitizing N-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres via facile single atom iron growth for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Show Author's Information Yunshi Xu1,  Liping Zhu1,  Xuexue Cui1,  Mingyu Zhao1,  Yaling Li1,  Leilei Chen1,2,  Weicun Jiang1,  Ting Jiang1,  Shuguang Yang1,  Yi Wang1,2( )
Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
Keywords:
mesoporous structure, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), single atom, graphitic carbon nanosphere, in-situ transformation
Topics:
CarbonCatalysis Catalyst activityDoping (additives)Electrocatalysis Electrolytic reduction Iron compoundsMesoporous materials Nanospheres Oxygen
Cite this article:
Xu Y, Zhu L, Cui X, et al. Graphitizing N-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres via facile single atom iron growth for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction. Nano Research, 2020, 13(3): 752-758. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2689-9
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Abstract Full text Electronic supplementary material About this article

Single atom catalyst is of great importance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, facile preparation of single atom catalyst without using well-designed precursors or labor-intensive acid leaching remains an urgent challenge. Herein, a simple pyrolysis of Fe3+-loaded mesoporous phenolic resin (mPF)-melamine precursor is used to prepare the single atom iron-anchored N-doped mesoporous graphitic carbon nanospheres (Fe/N-MGN). Investigation of the synthesis reveals the appropriate Fe-assisted catalysis effect and mPF template effect, which not only spurs the highly graphitic porous framework of Fe/N-MGN with plentiful pyridinic N/graphitic N, but also assures the dispersed single atom Fe anchoring without elaborated procedures. As a result, the as-synthesized Fe/N-MGN demonstrates high catalytic activity, good durability and excellent methanol tolerance for ORR. This work promises a facile method to regulate the graphitic carbon growth and single atom Fe loading for the highly efficient electrocatalysis.


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About this article

Graphitizing N-doped mesoporous carbon nanospheres via facile single atom iron growth for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Show Author's information Yunshi Xu1, Liping Zhu1, Xuexue Cui1, Mingyu Zhao1, Yaling Li1, Leilei Chen1,2, Weicun Jiang1, Ting Jiang1, Shuguang Yang1, Yi Wang1,2( )
Center for Advanced Low-dimension Materials, State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China
College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China

Abstract

Single atom catalyst is of great importance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, facile preparation of single atom catalyst without using well-designed precursors or labor-intensive acid leaching remains an urgent challenge. Herein, a simple pyrolysis of Fe3+-loaded mesoporous phenolic resin (mPF)-melamine precursor is used to prepare the single atom iron-anchored N-doped mesoporous graphitic carbon nanospheres (Fe/N-MGN). Investigation of the synthesis reveals the appropriate Fe-assisted catalysis effect and mPF template effect, which not only spurs the highly graphitic porous framework of Fe/N-MGN with plentiful pyridinic N/graphitic N, but also assures the dispersed single atom Fe anchoring without elaborated procedures. As a result, the as-synthesized Fe/N-MGN demonstrates high catalytic activity, good durability and excellent methanol tolerance for ORR. This work promises a facile method to regulate the graphitic carbon growth and single atom Fe loading for the highly efficient electrocatalysis.

Keywords: mesoporous structure, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), single atom, graphitic carbon nanosphere, in-situ transformation

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Publication history
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Acknowledgements

Publication history

Received: 16 October 2019
Revised: 18 December 2019
Accepted: 18 January 2020
Published: 22 February 2020
Issue date: March 2020

Copyright

© Tsinghua University Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020

Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 21675032 and 81861138040), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities and DHU Distinguished Young Professor Program. We appreciate the kind help from Dr. Li Wang in Center of Analysis and Measurement, Fudan University for preparation of complicated samples and elemental analysis.

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