Atomically Isolated Iron Atom Anchored on Carbon Nanotubes for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b12054
• Publication Date: 2019-09-27T13:15:49Z
• Authors: Dong Liu; Jin-Cheng Li; Qiurong Shi; Shuo Feng; Zhaoyuan Lyu; Shichao Ding; Leiduan Hao; Qiang Zhang; Chenhui Wang; Mingjie Xu; Tao Li; Erik Sarnello; Dan Du; Yuehe Lin
• Keywords: Carbon fibers

Recently, electrocatalysts based on anchored dispersive/isolated single metal atoms conductive carbon supports have demonstrated great promise to substitute costly Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in field of fuel cells or metal-air batteries. However, developments cost-efficient single-atom Fe catalysts with high activities are still facing various hardships. Here, we developed a facile way synthesize isolated iron nanotube (CNT) involving one-pot pyrrole polymerization self-degraded organic template and subsequent pyrolysis. The as-obtained electrocatalyst possessed unique characteristics abundant nanopores wall CNTs host atomic Fe-Nx active sites, showing ultrahigh ORR activity (half-wave potential: 0.93 V, kinetic current density: 59.8 mA/cm2 at 0.8 V), better than that commercial Pt/C 0.91 V; 38.0 V) an alkaline electrolyte. Furthermore, good has been proven acidic solution half-wave-potential 0.73 V.