Simultaneous introduction of iodine and Fe-Nx into carbon nanospheres for enhanced catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction using a solution plasma process

Abstract

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a critical role at the cathode of fuel cells and metal–air batteries. In this study, we report the one-pot synthesis of iodine- and Fe-Nx impregnated carbon nanospheres (FeNI-CNS) using a solution plasma process and their effect on electrocatalytic activity. FeNI-CNS exhibits a fast four-electron transfer reaction with a high current density and superior durability in both alkaline and acidic media. The excellent catalytic performance is attributed to the synergetic effect between the iodine and Fe-Nx sites, which provide a higher reaction rate and faster ORR, respectively. We believe that these findings represent a new approach for enhancing ORR catalytic performance and catalyst synthesis.