Co3O4 Nanoparticle-Decorated N-Doped Mesoporous Carbon Nanofibers as an Efficient Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract

A low cost, durable, and efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) is essential for high-performance fuel cells. Here, we fabricated Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on N-doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers (Co 3 O 4 /NMCF) by electrospinning combined with the simple heat treatment. Within this composite, carbon nanofibers possess a mesoporous structure, contributed to obtain a high surface area, which can facilitate the infiltration of electrolyte. Moreover, this one-dimensional (1D) carbon nanofiber also acts as a 1D conductive channel, effectively improving the transmission of electrons. In addition, the doping of the N element with high content combined with homogenously distributed Co 3 O 4 NPs can significantly enhance the ORR electrocatalytic activity. Benefiting from the advantages of material and structure, the Co 3 O 4 /NMCF catalyst favors a four electron transfer process in alkaline media, exhibiting good ORR electrocatalytic activity, and its durability is much better than that of commercial Pt/C.

Cobalt‐Doped Perovskite‐Type Oxide LaMnO3 as Bifunctional Oxygen Catalysts for Hybrid Lithium–Oxygen Batteries

“…[13,[20][21] Perovskite-type oxidesa re the most welcome amongt hem. Owing to the low cost, transition metals (e.g.,C o, Mn, and Fe) and their metal oxides( e.g., Co 2 O 3 ,M nO 2 ,F e 3 O 4 )a re an important research subject.…”

“…Owing to the low cost, transition metals (e.g.,C o, Mn, and Fe) and their metal oxides( e.g., Co 2 O 3 ,M nO 2 ,F e 3 O 4 )a re an important research subject. [13,[20][21] Perovskite-type oxidesa re the most welcome amongt hem. So far,n oble-metal-free perovskiteo xides( ABO 3 )a re regarded as an extremely promising bifunctionale lectrocatalyst for the ORR and OER because of their highc atalytic activity towards oxygen reactions, lower materials costs, and abundance compared with noble-metal-based catalysts.…”

“…Recently, much effort has been invested in the search for new materials as bifunctional catalytic materials for the ORR and OER in alkaline media. Owing to the low cost, transition metals (e.g., Co, Mn, and Fe) and their metal oxides (e.g., Co 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , Fe 3 O 4 ) are an important research subject . Perovskite‐type oxides are the most welcome among them.…”

Solid-State Ball-Milling of Co3O4 Nano/Microspheres and Carbon Black Endorsed LaMnO3 Perovskite Catalyst for Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis

“…Typically, cobalt-based metal oxides have been mostly used as a versatile electrocatalyst for OER due to their large catalytic performance [23]. Additionally, the Co-supported carbonaceous materials, such as porous carbon, reduced graphene oxide, and carbon nanotubes have revealed boost the electrocatalytic activity as well as enhanced the facilitated mass transport, electrical conductivity, improved dispersion, and exposure of catalytic sites [11,21,[23][24][25]. Furthermore, in recent years, hybridization of perovskite materials with other materials (e.g., MoS 2 ) has also been enhanced the water oxidation properties in both an acidic and alkaline environment.…”

Synthesis, Characterization and Photocatalytic Activity of Nanocrystalline First Transition-Metal (Ti, Mn, Co, Ni and Zn) Oxisde Nanofibers by Electrospinning

“…Xue et al fabricated Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) anchored on N-doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers (Co 3 O 4 /NMCF) by electrospinning combined with simple heat treatment. Because of its superior electrochemical performance, Co 3 O 4 /NMCF composite is a promising choice, serving as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) [25]. Apparently, transition-metal oxide nanofibers are rich in types and structures, resulting in a variety of properties and applications.…”