Wood-derived porous carbon supported γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles as efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

The sluggish kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction at the cathode is one of the obstacles of the next-generation energy conversion system such as fuel cell and Zn-air battery. Here, a simple pyrolysis method was used to transform delignification-treated balsa wood into nitrogen-doped porous layered carbon materials. γ-Fe2O3 nanocrystals were supported on N-doped wood-derived carbon materials. The prepared Fe2O3-CW1000 catalyst exhibits superior ORR performance with a high onset potential of 0.98 VRHE in alkaline environment. This is consistent with the potential of commercial Pt/C. The superior ORR activity is attributed to the fact that γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles promote the activity of Fe-Nx sites. And the N-enriched porous carbon matrix facilitates the faster electron movement on the catalyst surface and the full exposure of the active sites.