Oxygen Vacancy-Enriched FeOx Nanoparticle Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract

FeOx electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction were prepared via one-step synthesis using electron impact with cold plasma as the electron source. Given the low operation temperature, FeOx by plasma technology showed a smaller particle size than that prepared via conventional calcination. Notably, electron impact produced more oxygen vacancies and a larger surface area on FeOx, which increased active sites and electronic conductivity, than plasma. Electrochemical investigations indicated that FeOx prepared by plasma exhibited remarkable oxygen reduction reaction activity toward the four-electron electrochemical reduction of oxygen. The results demonstrated that this facile fabrication method is a promising route for developing cost-effective and high-performance catalysts to be used in electrochemical applications.