Design of Co4N/CoNC heterogeneous interface catalyst for efficient hydrogen peroxide electroreduction

Abstract

The rational design of efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen peroxide electroreduction is essential to improve the performance of direct hydrogen peroxide fuel cells. In this study, we synthesized a Co4N/CoNC with a heterogeneous interface grown directly on nickel foam (NF) substrates as a highly active electrocatalyst for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) electroreduction (HPRR). Benefiting from the integrated three-dimensional structure with sufficient active sites, the high electrical conductivity, and the synergistic effect of the heterogeneous interfaces of Co4N and Co–N–C, the electrode provides superior H2O2 electrocatalytic properties, with a current density up to 0.65 A cm−2 at −0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl, Tafel slope at 34.86 mV dec−1 and low activation energy as 9.65 kJ mol−1 in alkaline medium. Our findings provide insights into the design of efficient H2O2 electrocatalyst design.