Biomass-derived nitrogen self-doped porous activation carbon as an effective bifunctional electrocatalysts

• Published in: Chinese chemical letters Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 92 - 98
• Main Authors: Sun, Yuanqing, Ouyang, Yiming, Luo, Jiaqing, Cao, Huihui, Li, Xiang, Ma, Jingwen, Liu, Jian, Wang, Yuanhao, Lu, Lin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.01.2021; State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil and Beijing Key Lab of Oil&Gas Optical Detection Technology,College of Science,China University of Petroleum,Beijing 102249,China%Hoffmann Institute of Advanced Materials,Shenzhen Polytechnic,Shenzhen 518055,China%Renewable Energy Research Group (RERG),Department of Building Services Engineering,The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,Hong Kong,China
• Subjects: Bifunctional electrocatalysts; Biomass-derived; High specific surface area; Metal-free; Nitrogen-doped carbon; Nitrogen-doped carbon; Biomass-derived; High specific surface area; Metal-free; Bifunctional electrocatalysts
• ISSN: 1001-8417; 1878-5964
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cclet.2020.09.027

[Display omitted] As-prepared porous carbon materials show outstanding electrocatalytic activity due to its developed porosity, high graphite-N ratio, and abundant defects, resulting in accelerating electron and reactant transport. The strategy of adopting cheap precursors or abundant resources, which can be obtained directly from nature, is a simple and excellent method of introducing accessible research into environmentally friendly development. Moreover, this is also an urgent requirement for the sustainable development of green technology. Herein, we introduce a simplistic and expandable method to prepare metal-free biomass-derived nitrogen self-doped porous activation carbon (N-PAC) with large specific surface area (SBET = 1300.58 m2/g). Moreover, the manufactural electrocatalysts exhibit prominent oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance in all PH values. As compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst, the N-PAC/800 with a positive onset potential at 10 mA/cm2 (0.93 V), half-wave potential (0.87 V), and limiting current (6.34 mA/cm2) bring to light excellent catalytic stability, selectivity, and much-enhanced methanol tolerance. Furthermore, the prepared electrocatalysts possess considerable hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance with a less onset potential of 0.218 V (acidic medium) and 0.271 V (alkaline medium) respectively, which can show similar catalytic activity across the whole pH range. Such bifunctional electrocatalyst, with excellent electrocatalytic properties, resource-rich, low cost, and environmental-friendly, hold a promising application in energy conversion and reserve.