Synthesis of electrocatalytically functional carbon honeycombs through cooking with molecule precursors

Abstract

The development of efficient, economical electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is highly desirable for clean energy applications, including fuel cells and metal–air batteries. Here, we have developed a synthetic method for obtaining nitrogen doped carbon honeycombs through cooking oleic acid, zinc acetate, and benzimidazole. The presence of zinc acetate leads to the growth of graphitic carbon sheets interconnected in a highly porous carbon honeycomb. More importantly, the morphology and the nitrogen content can be facilely controlled by changing the precursor ratios. When tested, the as-prepared electrocatalyst exhibited efficient catalytic activity towards the ORR via a four-electron pathway, with good stability and high resistance to the methanol crossover effect, which is attributable to the nitrogen doping and the porous structure with large surface area. The good performance is promising for potential applications in fuel cells and elsewhere.