Rational design of hierarchically porous Fe-N-doped carbon as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction and Zn-air batteries

The rational design and construction of hierarchically porous nanostructure for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts is crucial to facilitate the exposure of accessible active sites and promote the mass/electron transfer under the gas-solid-liquid triple-phase condition. Herein, an ingenious method through the pyrolysis of creative polyvinylimidazole coordination with Zn/Fe salt precursors is developed to fabricate hierarchically porous Fe-N-doped carbon framework as efficient ORR electrocatalyst. The volatilization of Zn species combined with the nanoscale Kirkendall effect of Fe dopants during the pyrolysis build the hierarchical micro-, meso-, and macroporous nanostructure with a high specific surface area (1,586 m^(2)·g^(−1)), which provide sufficient exposed active sites and multiscale mass/charge transport channels. The optimized electrocatalyst exhibits superior ORR activity and robust stability in both alkaline and acidic electrolytes. The Zn-air battery fabricated by such attractive electrocatalyst as air cathode displays a higher peak power density than that of Pt/C-based Zn-air battery, suggesting the great potential of this electrocatalyst for Zn-air batteries.

Iron Atom-Cluster Strategy Synthesis of Hierarchically Porous Fe-N-C Catalysts for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Developing nonprecious metal-nitrogen-doped carbon(M-N-C)catalysts with high activity and stability is critical to their widespread use in fuel cells;however,these catalysts still face considerable challenges.Herein,a novel iron atom-cluster strategy for the synthesis of iron-based N-C catalyst comprising Fe nanoparticles(Fe NPs)surrounded by Fe-N_(x) sites is developed for oxygen reduction reactions in an acidic fuel cell.Iron oxide NPs were incorporated into zeolitic imidazolate framework-8(ZIF-8)-derived carbon materials and pyrolyzed at high temperatures using NaCl as a modifi er to produce Fe NPs and Fe-N_(x) composite active sites.The half-wave potential of the optimized Fe_(NP)/FeNC-NaCl material was substantially improved to 0.81 V.Furthermore,even after 15,000 cycles,the half-wave potential of the catalyst remained essentially unchanged.As a cathode catalyst for fuel cells,it realized a high peak power density of 436 mW/cm^(2)under a practical H_(2)-air atmosphere.Therefore,this study presents a new approach for designing and synthesizing electrocatalytic materials with high catalytic activity and stability.