Nitrogen‐Doped Hierarchical Porous Carbon Architecture Incorporated with Cobalt Nanoparticles and Carbon Nanotubes as Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

• DOI: 10.1002/admi.201700583
• Publication Date: 2017-07-18T13:11:35Z
• Authors: Chunyu Zhu; Cheong Kim; Yoshitaka Aoki; Hiroki Habazaki
• Keywords: Carbon fibers; Oxygen evolution

Abstract Hierarchical porous carbon has attracted great interest because of its distinctive structure and superior properties for designing electrochemical energy storage conversion devices. In this work, a novel method to fabricate nitrogen‐doped hierarchical (NHPC) is reported, which incorporated with Co nanoparticles nanotubes (CNTs). The NHPC prepared using facile scalable MgO–Co template method. Metal nitrate–glycine solution combustion synthesis, followed by high temperature calcination, used prepare MgO–Co/N‐doped precursor. CNTs are formed the in situ Co‐catalytic growth during heat treatment; at same time, localized graphitic layers also around nanoparticles. After acid washing, multipores ultrafine obtained. When applied as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst, displays catalytic activity not only terms onset potential current density, but durability tolerance methanol crossover alkaline electrolyte. remarkable ORR originated from cooperative effects specific surface area, pore structure, ultrasmall nanocrystals, layers, CNTs, N‐doping.