Graphene-Riched Co9S8-N-C Non-Precious Metal Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Media

Abstract

In this work, a non-precious metal catalyst consisting of Co9S8 nanoparticles surrounded with nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon (Co9S8-N-C) was developed for oxygen reduction in alkaline media. Improved activity has been measured with the Co9S8-N-C catalyst relative to Pt/C and a non-precious metal catalyst based on Fe instead of Co (Fe-N-C). An extensive physical characterization, including XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS and electrochemical kinetic analysis was conducted to provide insight into the catalyst morphology and structure.