Simultaneous introduction of iodine and Fe-Nx into carbon nanospheres for enhanced catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction using a solution plasma process

• Published in: Electrochemistry communications Vol. 156; p. 107589
• Main Authors: Kim, Hye-min, Cha, Byung-chul, Kim, Dae-wook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.11.2023; Elsevier
• Subjects: Iodine-doped carbon; Non-precious metal catalyst; Oxygen reduction reaction; Solution plasma process; Iodine-doped carbon; Solution plasma process; Non-precious metal catalyst; Oxygen reduction reaction
• ISSN: 1388-2481; 1873-1902
• DOI: 10.1016/j.elecom.2023.107589

•Iodine and Fe-Nx were simultaneously introduced into carbon (FeNI-CNS) by a solution plasma process.•Iodine dopants contribute to the oxygen reduction reaction rate with a higher current density.•A synergistic effect further enhances the catalytic activity of the FeNI-CNS.•FeNI-CNS exhibits better durability than commercial Pt/C catalysts. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a critical role at the cathode of fuel cells and metal–air batteries. In this study, we report the one-pot synthesis of iodine- and Fe-Nx impregnated carbon nanospheres (FeNI-CNS) using a solution plasma process and their effect on electrocatalytic activity. FeNI-CNS exhibits a fast four-electron transfer reaction with a high current density and superior durability in both alkaline and acidic media. The excellent catalytic performance is attributed to the synergetic effect between the iodine and Fe-Nx sites, which provide a higher reaction rate and faster ORR, respectively. We believe that these findings represent a new approach for enhancing ORR catalytic performance and catalyst synthesis.