Three-dimensional B,N-doped graphene foam as a metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

• Published in: Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP Vol. 15; no. 29; pp. 12220 - 12226
• Main Authors: YUHUA XUE, DINGSHAN YU, LIMING DAI, RUIGANG WANG, DINGQIANG LI, ROY, Ajit, FAN LU, HAO CHEN, YONG LIU, JIA QU
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge Royal Society of Chemistry 01.01.2013
• Subjects: Ammonia - chemistry; Boron; Boron - chemistry; Catalysis; Chemical vapor deposition; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Doping; Electrochemical Techniques; Emulsions. Microemulsions. Foams; Exact sciences and technology; Foams; General and physical chemistry; Graphene; Graphite - chemistry; Methane - chemistry; Nitrogen - chemistry; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxygen - chemistry; Reduction; Scanning electron microscopy; Theory of reactions, general kinetics. Catalysis. Nomenclature, chemical documentation, computer chemistry; Three dimensional; Toluene - chemistry; Chemical reduction; Oxygen; Foam; Graphene; Catalyst
• ISSN: 1463-9076; 1463-9084
• DOI: 10.1039/c3cp51942b

Using a modified chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, we have prepared a class of new graphene foams (GFs) doped with nitrogen, boron or both. Nitrogen-doped graphene foams (N-GFs) with a nitrogen doping level of 3.1 atom% were prepared by CVD of CH4 in the presence of NH3 while boron-doped graphene foams (B-GFs) with a boron doping level of 2.1 atom% were produced by using toluene and triethyl borate as a carbon and a boron source. On the other hand, graphene foams co-doped with nitrogen (4.5 atom%) and boron (3 atom%) (BN-GFs) were prepared by CVD using melamine diborate as the precursor. In all cases, scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed well-defined foam-like microstructures, while electrochemical measurements showed much higher electrocatalytic activities toward oxygen reduction reaction for the doped graphene foams than their undoped counterparts.