Nitrogen-doped Carbon Layer Research Articles

Nitrogen-doped carbon layer of LiFePO4 improves the electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries

Nitrogen-doped carbon layer of LiFePO4 improves the electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries

Cobalt/Nitrogen Co-Doped Carbon Materials Enhance the Reaction Rate of Sodium-Potassium Alloy Electrodes.

Sodium-potassium (NaK) alloy electrodes are ideal for next-generation dendrite-free alkali metal electrodes due to their dendrite-free nature. However, issues such as slow diffusion kinetics due to the large K+ radius and the loss of active potassium during the reaction severely limit its application. Here a novel cobalt/nitrogen-doped carbon material is designed and it is applied to the construction of a NaK alloy electrode. The experimental and theoretical results indicate that the confining effect of the nitrogen-doped graphitic carbon layer can protect the cobalt nanoparticles from corrosion leaching, while the presence of Co─Nx bonds and cobalt nanoparticles provides more active sites for the reaction, realizing the synergistic effect of adsorption-catalytic modulation, lowering the K+ diffusion energy barrier and promoting charge transfer and ion diffusion. The application of this electrode to a symmetrical battery can achieve more than 1800 stable cycles under a current density of 0.4mA cm-2 and a charge/discharge specific capacity of 122.64 mAh g-1 under a current of 0.5C in a full battery. This finding provides a new idea to realize a fast, stable, and efficient application of NaK alloy electrodes.

Nitrogen-doped nanotubes and few-layer montmorillonite composites as an effective polysulfides adsorbent for lithium–sulfur batteries

With the advantages of high specific energy and high theoretical capacity, lithium‑sulfur batteries are gaining attention in the field of energy storage. However, there are still many difficulties in the practical application. Such as poor electrical conductivity of sulfur, large volume expansion of sulfur, shuttle effect of polysulfide, resulting in rapid capacity decay and poor cycling stability. To solve these problems, in this paper, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube and layer less montmorillonite composites (NMMT/CNT/S) were prepared by a simple hydrothermal method and used as sulfur carriers for lithium‑sulfur batteries. Due to the high conductivity of carbon nanotubes, the high specific surface area and large number of adsorption sites in montmorillonite, and the ability of nitrogen to increase electrochemical reactivity, the obtained NMMT/CNT/S has excellent electrochemical performance: Initial discharge capacity up to 1122 mAh/g at a current density of 0.5C, initial specific capacity of 1017 mAh/g at a current density of 1C, capacity remaining after 100 cycles 815 mAh/g, the capacity retention rate is 80.1 %. The prepared NMMT/CNT/S cathode material has good magnification performance, at current densities of 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4C, the average specific capacity was 1085.9, 902.2, 820.4, 681.2 and 526.4 mAh/g, respectively. The initial specific capacity of NMMT/CNT/S at a current density of 2C is 698 mAh/g, capacity remaining 542 mAh/g after 500 cycles of stabilization, with a capacity retention rate of 77.7 %. These results show that the prepared NMMT/CNT/S is a breakthrough development in the application of lithium‑sulfur batteries.

A unique sandwich-structured Ru-TiO/TiO2@NC as an efficient bi-functional catalyst for hydrogen oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions

Developing active and stable non-Pt electrocatalysts for hydrogen oxidation (HOR) and evolution reactions (HER) are critical for anion exchange membrane fuel cells and water electrolyzers. Herein, we report a highly active and robust electrocatalyst Ru-TiO/TiO2@NC, in which Ru nanoclusters are sandwiched between TiO/TiO2 nanosheets and nitrogen-doped carbon layers. Taking advantage of both the optimized Ru-TiO/TiO2 interaction and the conductive carbon coating layers, the Ru-TiO/TiO2@NC exhibits both exceptional HOR/HER activity and superior stability, outperforming Pt/C in the alkaline solution. The HOR mass activity reaches up to 107.2 A gRu-1 at an overpotential of 50 mV, and the specific exchange current density is 0.271 mA cm−2. The HER overpotential at 10 mA cm−2 is only 39 mV, 34 mV lower than required by Pt/C. More importantly, the Ru-based catalyst exhibits excellent anti-oxidation ability by virtue of the unique sandwich structure. Density functional theory calculations discover that the d-band center of Ru in Ru-TiO/TiO2 is downshifted by 0.29 eV compared to Ru-TiO2, decoupling and optimizing the Had/OHad adsorption on Ru, i.e., Had is promoted, while OHad is inhibited and transferred to TiO/TiO2. As a result, (i) the energy required by the potential determining step of HOR/HER is lowered, and (ii) the anti-oxidation ability of the Ru-TiO/TiO2 is enhanced. This work not only addresses the issue of Ru passivation at high anode potentials but also provides an innovative and versatile approach to designing advanced electrocatalysts.

Durable carbon-shell-encapsulated Pt/C catalysts synthesized by direct pyrolysis of Pt-pyrrole complexes for the oxygen reduction reaction

Owing to the robust protection of carbon layers, Pt catalysts sheltered by carbon layers (Pt@C/C) show superior durability towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFs). Herein, we report a convenient method for synthesizing the Pt@C/C catalyst by the thermal treatment of carbon-supported Pt-pyrrole complexes which have a specific mole ratio of Pt and pyrrole of ∼2.2. The obtained Pt nanoparticles (∼3 nm) were well distributed and encapsulated by nitrogen-doped carbon layers. Notably, the pyrolyzing temperature has critical effects on the ORR activity of the Pt@C/C catalysts, with the Pt@C/C catalyst obtained at 700 °C (Pt@C/C700) exhibiting the best performance and far exceeding that of commercial Pt/C during potential cycling. TEM results show that the performance robustness of Pt@C/C700 is ascribed to the protection of ultra-thin carbon shells. In the cell test, the performance of the membrane-electrode-assembly with the Pt@C/C700 as the ORR catalyst was largely retained after the accelerated stress test, with a loss of only 12 mV at 0.8 A/cm2. The improved stability of Pt@C/C700 can result from the carbon shell's stabilizing effect which physically isolated the Pt nanoparticles from the harsh environment and prevented their degradation. This facile preparation method is promising for the mass production of Pt@C/C catalysts with enhanced durability for the ORR.

Bi-MOF-Derived Carbon Wrapped Bi Nanoparticles Assembly on Flexible Graphene Paper Electrode for Electrochemical Sensing of Multiple Heavy Metal Ions.

The development of nanohybrid with high electrocatalytic activity is of great significance for electrochemical sensing applications. In this work, we develop a novel and facile method to prepare a high-performance flexible nanohybrid paper electrode, based on nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) wrapped Bi nanoparticles (Bi-NPs) assembly derived from Bi-MOF, which are decorated on a flexible and freestanding graphene paper (GP) electrode. The as-obtained Bi-NPs encapsulated by an NC layer are uniform, and the active sites are increased by introducing a nitrogen source while preparing Bi-MOF. Owing to the synergistic effect between the high conductivity of GP electrode and the highly efficient electrocatalytic activity of Bi-NPs, the NC wrapped Bi-NPs (Bi-NPs@NC) modified GP (Bi-NPs@NC/GP) electrode possesses high electrochemically active area, rapid electron-transfer capability, and good electrochemical stability. To demonstrate its outstanding functionality, the Bi-NPs@NC/GP electrode has been integrated into a handheld electrochemical sensor for detecting heavy metal ions. The result shows that Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+ can be detected with extremely low detection limits, wide linear range, high sensitivity, as well as good selectivity. Furthermore, it demonstrates outstanding electrochemical sensing performance in the simultaneous detection of Zn2+, Cd2+, and Pb2+. Finally, the proposed electrochemical sensor has achieved excellent repeatability, reproducibility, stability, and reliability in measuring real water samples, which will have great potential in advanced applications in environmental systems.

Ni-based nanocatalyst protected by ultrathin mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon layer with hollow structure for the efficient transfer hydrogenation of halogenated nitrobenzenes

It is of great scientific and industrial value to develop cheap and efficient supported non-noble metal-based catalysts for the selective hydrogenation of halogenated nitrobenzenes. In this work, hollow-structured Ni-based nano-catalysts coated with ultrathin nitrogen-doped carbon layers (H-Ni@NC) have been prepared. The etching of SiO2 template before calcination and decomposition of residual Ni3Si2O5(OH)4 shell into SiO2 leads to the resulting catalysts could maintain good mechanical property and stability. The H-Ni@NC catalyst prepared at 600 °C exhibits the optimal catalytic performance for the catalytic selective hydrogenation of halogenated nitrobenzenes under mild conditions (60 °C) when using hydrazine hydrate (N2H4·H2O) as the reducing agent, and could maintain its catalytic properties even after 5 consecutive runs. The contrast experiments confirm that the combination of hollow structure with N-doped carbon protective layer make the catalyst show the best catalytic effect, and the synergistic effects are further discussed in detail combined with characterization analysis. In addition, this work further reveals the mechanism of Ni-based catalysts for the transfer hydrogenation of halogenated nitrobenzenes, which may provide a reference idea for the preparation of other Ni-based catalysts.

Nickel-carbide interface encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon for efficient electrocatalytic CO2 reduction

Interface regulation has been widely utilized to improve catalytic performance via tuning the adsorption of reaction intermediates. However, the role of metal-carbide interface in electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has been poorly understood. Here we construct an interface between Ni and bimetallic NiZn carbide encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon (Ni-NZC@NC) through facile pyrolysis of Ni-doped metal–organic frameworks precursor. The Ni-NZC@NC catalyst shows an excellent and stable performance for CO2RR to CO, with a CO Faradaic efficiency of 97.1% and a full-cell energy efficiency of 48.4% at a current density of 300 mA cm−2 in an alkaline membrane assembly electrolyzer. The improved CO production is attributed to the Ni-carbide interface that likely stabilizes the key *COOH intermediate and the nitrogen-doped carbon layer that facilitates *CO desorption. This work highlights the great promise of interface regulation for designing more active, selective, and stable electrocatalysts for CO2 conversion.

Te-hybridized zeolitic imidazolate frameworks-derived core-shell design toward dendrite-free Zn anode for long-term aqueous zinc-ion batteries

Hypothesis: Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have received considerable attention owing to their safety, low cost, and environmental benignity. However, the side reactions of hydrogen evolution revolution and Zn dendrite growth reduce the Coulombic efficiency and life span of AZIBs. To address these issues, we designed an artificial protective layer of a Te-hybridized core–shell zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF).Experiments: A core–shell structure of ZIF-8@ZIF-67 was first developed as a protecting layer on the Zn anode. To improve the poor conductivity of ZIF and its affinity for Zn, the core–shell structure was hybridized with zincophilic Te to increase the surface area and reduce the charge-transfer resistance.Findings: By incorporating metallic Te into ZIF-8 and ZIF-67, the nucleation potential and charge-transfer resistance were significantly reduced, enhancing the ion reaction kinetics and electron migration. Benefiting from the Te-hybridized ZIF-8@ZIF-67-derived nitrogen-doped porous carbon (Te-hybridized ZIF-8@ZIF-67/NC) layer, a full cell of Zn coated with Te-hybridized ZIF-8@ZIF-67/NC//MnO2 exhibited an excellent rate performance of 214 mAh g−1 at an ultrahigh current density of 10 A g−1 and ultralong cycle life (3200 cycles) without the formation of Zn dendrites.

Insight into novel Fe3C/Mo2C@carbonized polyaniline activated PMS for parachlorophenol degradation: Key roles of Mo2+, C=O bonds and N-doping

Developing efficient heterogeneous catalysts are of great importance for utilizing peroxymonosulfate-based advanced oxidation processes (PMS-AOPs) toward environment remediation. In this work, a novel composites Fe3C/Mo2C@CPANI are synthesized via hydrothermal and calcination with a precursor of metal salt and PANI. The derived Fe3C and Mo2C nanoparticles are wrapped into the nitrogen-doped carbon layer thanks to the rationally structure design, which can not only suppress metal ions leaching but also promote carbocatalysis by synergistic effect. The as-synthesized catalyst exhibited excellent performance in activating PMS with a fast 4-CP degradation rate (k = 0.79 min−1). On the basis of surface chemistry analysis, the graphite N, C=O group, Fe2+ and Mo2+ are considered to be active sites that responsible for PMS activation. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and competitive quenching test both witnessed the existence of SO4•−, •OH, O2•− and 1O2 in the Fe3C/Mo2C@CPANI-0.1/PMS system, while SO4•− and 1O2 are considered as dominant reactive oxygen species (ROSs). Additionally, the influences of various reaction parameters on 4-CP removal were systematically investigated, where Fe3C/Mo2C@CPANI-0.1 could maintain its catalytic capacity under different conditions. This study proposes a facile method for fabricating metal carbide/carbon hybrids with rational structure and brings new insights into the radical/nonradical pathway in PMS activation process.

Spinel-structured MnV2O4 @nitrogen-doped carbon microspheres for sodium ion batteries with ultra-long cycle stability

Vanadium oxide is provided with abundant redox centers for high theoretical capacity as anode of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs), but still has poor inherent conductivity and volume expansion leading to fast capacity decay during cycling. In the study, the manganese vanadate microspheres enclosed in nitrogen-doped carbon layers (MnV2O4 @NC) are availably constructed via reflux vanadization of Mn glycerol precursor and in situ thermal decomposition. The MnV2O4 @NC microspheres shows excellent the long-cycle stability as anode materials for SIBs, remaining the specific capacity of 205 mAh g−1 at current of 1000 mA g−1 after nearly 4000 cycles. Due to the increased valence range of bimetallic oxides and three-dimensional channels of spinel structure, the cubic MnV2O4 encapsulated by carbon shell can effectively enhance charge transfer, optimize electronic structure, stabilize crystal structure, and improve cycle stability. These results disclose the prospects of vanadate-based spinel material in high performance SIBs.

Synergistic effect of selectively etched CoFe and N-doped hollow carbon spheres for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) feature benefits of high theoretical specific capacity, but they are severely constrained by the shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides and volume expansion in the process. To address these issues, CoFe nano particles covered in N-doped carbon (SE-CoFe@NC) layer were prepared by bimetallic-organic skeleton pyrolysis method and used as cathode matrix for LSBs. The nitrogen-carbon shell layer and polar CoFe-alloy nanoparticles provide plentiful chemisorption sites for polysulfides, and the alloy is essential for accelerating the redox conversion of polysulfides. Nitrogen-doped carbon layer promotes ion/electron transport and the nitrogen doping is generally considered to have a strong adsorption effect on polysulfides, with the hollow carbon spheres acting synergistically in promoting electrolyte penetration, enhancing sulfur loading capacity and accommodating sulfur expansion during cycling. Take advantage of these benefits, the S@CoFe/NC-80 composite cathode exhibits strong adsorption capability of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), efficient reaction kinetics and stable cycling performance (reversible capacity of 617 mAh g−1 at 0.2C after 200 cycles, and when the charging/discharging rate reaches 1C, it maintains a reversible discharge capacity of 490 mAh g−1 after 1000 cycles with a per-cycle decay rate of only 0.05%). The synergistic effect of the dual properties of the catalytic activity of the CoFe alloy and the conductive hollow nitrogen-carbon layer provides a viable solution for the appropriate design of bimetallic alloy structures and promotes further applications.

Aqueous-phase hydrogenation of α-pinene to cis-pinane using an amphiphilic Ni-based catalyst

Alpha-pinene is an important forest chemical resource, and the cis-pinane obtained by its hydrogenation reaction is used in spices, medicine, and other industries. A hollow nanospheric material with amphiphilic properties in a two-sided structure was prepared, with a nitrogen-doped carbon layer towards the inside and mesoporous silica in the outer layer of the nanospheres. The amphiphilic catalyst with non-precious nickel as the active component was synthesized by loading nickel onto the nanospheres using a simple impregnation method and applied to the aqueous phase hydrogenation reaction of α-pinene. The mesoporous structure of the catalyst shortened the mass transfer distance and thus reduced the mass transfer resistance. The nitrogen atoms doped in the carbon matrix provided anchor points for stabilizing the metal nanoparticles; the hydrophilic outer surface and hydrophobic hollow cavity enabled the catalyst to be well dispersed in water while still enriching the organic matter in aqueous solution. The effect of various reaction conditions on the catalytic reaction was investigated. The catalysts showed excellent activity and good stability, suggesting a new green and efficient method for more effective exploitation of biomass pine resin resources, and providing a reference for expanding the application of non-precious metal catalysts.

Homogeneous pseudoamorphous metal phosphide clusters for ultra stable hydrogen generation by water electrolysis at industrial current density

Industrial hydrogen production based on water electrolysis requires the catalysts that operate stably at ultra-high current densities for extended periods. Herein, we prepared a highly dispersed pseudoamorphous metal phosphide cluster catalyst supported by nitrogen-doped carbon layer ((NiFeCo)2P-PA/NF). Due to its excellent intrinsic activity and stable structure, (NiFeCo)2P-PA/NF can drive oxygen evolution unremittingly for more than 160 h at a current density of 500 mA cm−2 (365 mV). Theoretical calculations also show that the energy barrier of the rate-determining step in the (NiFeCo)2P-PA is effectively is reduced. This alkaline hydrogen production system using (NiFeCo)2P-PA/NF as cathode and anode can meet commercial standards, showing low cell voltage (1.590 V) and extraordinary stability (over 300 h) at industrial current densities, and driving a cell voltage of only 1.372 V for 100 mA cm−2 in the urea alkaline hydrogen production system, demonstrating its potential for industrial applications.

Templated Synthesis of Exfoliated Porous Carbon with Dominant Graphitic Nitrogen.

We present here a new approach for the synthesis of nitrogen-doped porous graphitic carbon (g-NC) with a stoichiometry of C6.3H3.6N1.0O1.2, using layered silicate as a hard sacrificial template. Autogenous exfoliation is achieved due to the heterostacking of 2D silicate and nitrogen-doped carbon layers. Micro- and meso-porosity is induced by melamine and cetyltrimethylammonium (C16TMA). Our density functional calculations and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) observations confirm that the most dominant nitrogen configuration in g-CN is graphitic, while pyridinic and pyrrolic nitrogens are thermodynamically less favored. Our large-scale lattice dynamics calculations show that surface termination with H and OH groups at pores accounts for the observed H and O in the composition of the synthesized g-NC. We further evaluate the electrocatalytic and the supercapacitance activities of g-NC. Interestingly, this material exhibits a specific capacitance of ca. 202 F g-1 at 1 A g-1, retaining 90% of its initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles.

Nitrogen-rich coordination polymer-derived Ni3C@CN catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

Carbon-based metal composites have attracted significant attention in the field of electrocatalysis due to their unique structures and electronic properties. In this study, we prepared a unique nitrogen-rich Ni-based coordination polymer (Ni-CP) as a precursor and obtained a derivative comprising nitrogen-doped carbon coupled with Ni3C (Ni3C@CN-450) by pyrolysis. We synthesized Ni3C@CN-450 at a low temperature of 450 °C by exploiting the abundant nitrogen of Ni-CP. The Ni3C@CN-450 nanoparticles exhibited excellent activity in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and high tolerance of methanol. The nitrogen-doped carbon layer and sub-layer of Ni3C species created active centers for the ORR. The presence of carbon layers on the surface also provided resistance to corrosion under harsh alkaline reaction conditions during long-term stability testing.

ZIF-67-derived porous nitrogen-doped carbon shell encapsulates photovoltaic silicon cutting waste as anode in high-performance lithium-ion batteries

The rapid development of the photovoltaic industry generates nearly 35 wt% micron-scale silicon powder waste in the form of a paste. This study reports the in-situ synthesis of ZIF-67 on the surface of low-cost silicon cutting waste. Submicron-scale porous cage-like silicon-based composites were obtained by carbonization. This hollow framework structure facilitated the large volume expansion/contraction of Si during charging/discharging. The porous nitrogen-doped carbon layer not only yielded rapid transport channels for Li+ and electrons but also improved the electrical conductivity of the material. In addition, the excellent pseudocapacitive performance of the Si@NC-ZIF composite also enhanced lithium storage. The composite exhibited excellent capacity retention of 1623.05 mAh/g after 100 cycles at 200 mA g−1, with the retention rate reaching 86.29 %. When the current was switched from 2000 to 100 mA g−1, the discharge capacity recovered to 1453.35 mAh/g, showing excellent rate performance. This study provides a new approach for the recycling and value-added utilization of photovoltaic silicon cutting waste in lithium-ion battery anodes.

Synergistic engineering of cobalt selenide and biomass-derived S, N, P co-doped hierarchical porous carbon for modulation of stable Li-S batteries

Hierarchical porous carbon co-doped with heterogeneous atoms has attracted much attention thanks to sizable internal void space accommodating electrolyte, high-density microporous structure physically confining polysulfides (LPS), and heterogeneous atoms serving as active sites to capture LPS. However, solely relying on carbon material defects to capture LPS proves ineffective. Hence, metal compounds must be introduced to chemisorb LPS. Herein, cobalt ions are in-situ grown on the polydopamine layer coated on the surface of biomass-derived S, N, P co-doped hierarchical porous carbon (SNP-PC). Then a layer of nitrogen-doped porous carbon (MPC) dotted with CoSe nanoparticles is acquired by selenizing. Thus, a strong-polar/weak-polar composite material of SNP-PC studded with CoSe nanoparticles is obtained ([email protected]@CoSe). Button cells assembled with [email protected]@CoSe-modified separator enable superb long-cycle stability and satisfactory rate performance. An excellent rate capacity of 796 mAh g−1 at a high current rate of 4 C with an ultra-low capacity fading of 0.06% over 700 cycles can be acquired. More impressively, even in a harsh test condition of 5.65 mg cm−2 sulfur loading and 4 μL mg−1 ratio of electrolyte to active materials, the battery can still display a specific capacity of 980 mAh g−1 (area capacity of ∼5.54 mAh cm−2) at 0.1 C. This work provides a promising route toward high-performance Li-S batteries.

Tailored MXene Nanoarchitectonics: MXene with Mesoporous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Confined Ultrafine Molybdenum Carbide Nanodots for Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Two-dimensional (2D) MXene-based mesoporous heterostructures are promising electrode materials for electrochemical charge storage but have rarely been examined as electrocatalysts for hydrogen production reactions. Herein, we describe a 2D MXene-based mesoporous nanoarchitecture consisting of 2D Ti3C2 (MXene) nanosheets sandwiched between ordered mesoporous nitrogen-doped carbon (mNC) layers coupled molybdenum carbide (MoC) nanodots (denoted as mNC-MoC/Ti3C2). The results show that mesopores significantly increase the specific surface area of the material and expose numerous electrocatalytically active sites. Mesopores also shorten the distance of ion transport to the inner surface of the catalyst and accelerate the kinetics of the catalytic reaction. The resulting mNC-MoC/Ti3C2 structure exhibits excellent performance in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4, with a small overpotential of 159 mV at 10 mA cm–2, a low Tafel slope of 70.9 mV dec–1, and excellent long-term stability. Theoretical calculations indicate that the mNC-MoC/Ti3C2 surface has a small hydrogen binding energy for the favorable adsorption–desorption of hydrogen and high conductivity for rapid charge transfer during the HER process.

Cu@NC as high-performance and durable electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline membrane fuel cells

Discovery of electrocatalysts composed of cheap transition metals are urgent to replace the traditional Pt/C catalyst used for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, we synthesized Cu nanoparticles encapsulated with nitrogen-doped carbon (Cu@NC) as an excellent and durable catalyst for ORR. A systematic evaluation of the effect of Cu content, acid leaching and secondary heat treatment have been established with the help of half-cell studies. The morphological analysis revealed that Cu nanoparticles surrounded by thick nitrogen doped carbon layers and further, the acid leaching and subsequent pyrolysis, boosted the electrocatalytic performance. The optimized Cu@NC catalyst showed onset potential (potential corresponding to a current density of 0.10 mA cm−2) and half-wave potential of 0.97 V vs. RHE and 0.85 V vs. RHE, surpassing the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst. In addition, the Cu@NC catalyst exhibited outstanding durability, tolerance to carbon monoxide and methanol molecules. In the alkaline fuel cell, Cu@NC catalyst delivered 118 mW cm−2 peak power density in alkaline fuel cell operated with H2-O2, whereas Pt/C only delivered a peak power density of 97 mW cm−2 under ambient operating conditions. High ORR activity and better stability of Cu@NC catalyst could be a potential alternative to Pt/C catalyst in alkaline fuel cells and metal-air cell cathodes.