Highly Efficient Oxygen Reduction Catalysts by Rational Synthesis of Nanoconfined Maghemite in a Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Framework

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Abstract
Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical for electrochemical energy storage and conversion, e.g. in fuel cells and metal-air batteries. A major challenge is to develop cost-effective and durable ORR catalysts, to replace relatively expensive platinum loaded carbon (PtC) counterpart, particularly for large-scale applications. Despite progresses over the past decades in developing efficient non-precious metal (NPM) catalysts, such as Fe/N/C based materials (the best-known alternatives), most of the reported catalytic activities are yet to match that of PtC. Herein we propose a two-step process for the production of highly efficient NPM catalysts that outperform PtC in alkaline media: 1) a hierarchical porosity of a supporting substrate is generated and optimized in advance, especially to achieve a high total pore volume for rapid mass transfer; and 2) an appropriate amount of NPM precursor is added to the optimized substrate to boost the reduction potential while maintaining the hierarchically porous structure. Such a scheme was successfully applied to a case of nanoconfined maghemite (γ-Fe2O3) in a nitrogen-doped graphene framework. The resulting catalyst system surpasses the performance of the equivalent commercial PtC, in terms of a higher reduction potential, a significantly lower peroxide formation ratio, more than tripled kinetic current density, smaller Tafel slope and better durability etc. The reported catalyst is also among the best of all the existing Fe based ORR catalysts, indicating the great potential of γ-Fe2O3 for ORR in practical applications.
Funding Information
  • Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/K002252/1, EP/K021192/1, EP/L018330/1)

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