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

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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.

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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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 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

    Yunshi Xu, Liping Zhu, Xuexue Cui, Mingyu Zhao, Yaling Li, Leilei Chen, Weicun Jiang, Ting Jiang, Shuguang Yang & Yi Wang

  2. College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, China

    Leilei Chen & Yi Wang

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  1. Yunshi Xu
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  2. Liping Zhu
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  10. Yi Wang
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Correspondence to Yi Wang.

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12274_2020_2689_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

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

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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 Res. 13, 752–758 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2689-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-020-2689-9

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