The Effect of Different Phosphorus Chemical States on an Onion‐like Carbon Surface for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201500154
• Publication Date: 2015-05-13T12:37:54Z
• Authors: Xiaoyan Sun; Junyuan Xu; Yuxiao Ding; Bingsen Zhang; Zhenbao Feng; Dang Sheng Su
• Keywords: Oxygen; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Phosphorus; Oxidation-Reduction; 01 natural sciences; Carbon; 0104 chemical sciences

AbstractTwo kinds of phosphorus‐modified onion‐like carbons dominated by COP bonds and CP bonds were fabricated and further used as catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The results show that the bonding state of phosphorus has a significant effect on the ORR catalytic activity. The formation of COP bonds improves ORR activity, whereas CP bonds play an adverse role in stabilizing the key intermediates during the ORR owing to the distorted graphitic structure, as confirmed by the work function value.