Cutting-edge nitrogen, boron, and fluorine triply doped chain-like porous carbon nanofibers: a versatile solution for high-performance zinc-air batteries and self-powered water splitting
Heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts are a class of materials that have been widely studied for their potential to improve the performance and kinetics of electrochemical reactions such as the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER). However, achieving highly efficient electrochemical activity of...
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Published in | Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Vol. 12; no. 3; pp. 1826 - 1839 |
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Main Authors | , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Cambridge
Royal Society of Chemistry
16.01.2024
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Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts are a class of materials that have been widely studied for their potential to improve the performance and kinetics of electrochemical reactions such as the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER). However, achieving highly efficient electrochemical activity of tri-heteroatom (N, B, and F) dopants in porous carbon nanofibers (PCNFs) remains challenging. Herein, the strategy involves doping heteroatom species into PCNFs using a simple electrospinning method. The electrospinning process includes crosslinkers such as boric acid, poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), which are crosslinked to form a water-soluble network. PVA was utilized as the carbonized polymer, whereas PTFE was used as a sacrificial polymer that was removed during the processing steps to form a porous structure. As a result, the as-spun fibers are formed into N, B, and F triply-doped PCNFs with a large surface area. Taking advantage of the catalyst's unique features, such as its large surface area and the synergistic effect of N, B, and F co-doping, the N, B, and F triply doped PCNF catalyst showed outstanding ORR and OER activity, as well as durability under both alkaline and acidic conditions, with no significant contribution from the metal sites. Additionally, a zinc-air rechargeable battery with N, B, and F doped PCNFs as the air cathode has a long service life and a maximum power density of 151.9 mW cm
−2
. The developed tri-doped PCNF bifunctional metal-free catalyst, consisting of N, B, and F, is capable of functioning efficiently in ambient air. It exhibits a remarkable gas production rate, with hydrogen (H
2
) and oxygen (O
2
) gases being generated at rates of 0.504 and 0.250 μL s
−1
, respectively. This impressive performance highlights its significant potential for real-world applications.
Heteroatom-doped carbon catalysts are a class of materials that have been widely studied for their potential to improve the performance and kinetics of electrochemical reactions such as the oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER). |
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Bibliography: | https://doi.org/10.1039/d3ta06387a Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI |
ISSN: | 2050-7488 2050-7496 |
DOI: | 10.1039/d3ta06387a |