Soybean milk derived carbon intercalated with reduced graphene oxide as high efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 44; no. 39; pp. 21790 - 21802
• Main Authors: Sun, Yue, Zhong, Ruyi, Zhang, Haizhou, Huang, Taizhong, Yu, Jiemei, Fang, Hengyi, Liang, Dong, Guo, Zhongqin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 13.08.2019
• Subjects: Electrocatalysts; Nitridation; Nitrogen-doped carbons; Oxygen reduction reaction; Reduced graphene oxide; Soybean milk derived carbon; Soybean milk derived carbon; Reduced graphene oxide; Nitrogen-doped carbons; Electrocatalysts; Oxygen reduction reaction; Nitridation
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2019.06.174

Exploring high-performance and low-cost metal-free oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts from biomass-derived materials is vital to the development of novel energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, etc. Herein, nitrogen-enriched soybean milk derived carbon (BDC/rGO-HT-NH3) intercalated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) electrocatalyst is prepared via one-pot hydrothermal synthesis method followed with nitridation by NH3. The resultant catalyst with high surface area, good conductivity and high content of N (9.4 at.%) shows high electrocatalytic activity towards ORR in alkaline medium, which mainly happens through the direct 4-electron pathway. The onset potential of BDC/rGO-HT-NH3 catalyzed ORR is 0.96 V vs RHE, which is only 0.11 V lower than that of the commercial Pt/C (20 wt%) catalyst. In addition, the BDC/rGO-HT-NH3 catalyst shows superior long-term running durability. The desirable catalytic performances enable the facile synthesis approach of BDC/rGO-HT-NH3 to be a promising methodology for transforming other biomass materials to N-enriched carbon based materials as low-cost and environmental friendly catalysts for ORR. [Display omitted] •N-doped soybean milk derived carbon based oxygen reduction catalyst is prepared.•The intercalated rGO improved the catalytic activity of the derived carbon for ORR.•NH3 treated carbon has abundant micropores and pyridinic- and graphitic-N groups.•BDC/rGO-HT-NH3 catalyst with surface area of 294 m2 g−1 and 9.4 at.% N content.•BDC/rGO-HT-NH3 catalyst exhibits excellent activity and stability towards ORR.