Abstract

Highlights

An interconnected structure is developed by evaporation of zinc species using a ZnCo2O4 precursor as the cobalt resource, enabling communications between channels as well as homogeneous loading of active sites.

A shell structure of Co3O4 is formed on the surface of a zero-valent Co0 core during a stepwise carbothermic reduction of ZnCo2O4.

The Co-embedded multichannel carbon nanofibers exhibit not only a superior half-wave potential, but also an excellent durability compared to those of the commercial 30% Pt/C.

Alternate abstract:

A novel nonprecious metal material consisting of Co-embedded porous interconnected multichannel carbon nanofibers (Co/IMCCNFs) was rationally designed for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis. In the synthesis, ZnCo2O4 was employed to form interconnected mesoporous channels and provide highly active Co3O4/Co core–shell nanoparticle-based sites for the ORR. The IMC structure with a large synergistic effect of the N and Co active sites provided fast ORR electrocatalysis kinetics. The Co/IMCCNFs exhibited a high half-wave potential of 0.82 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) and excellent stability with a current retention up to 88% after 12,000 cycles in a current–time test, which is only 55% for 30 wt% Pt/C.

Details

Title
Stepwise Fabrication of Co-Embedded Porous Multichannel Carbon Nanofibers for High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction
Author
Tang, Zeming 1 ; Zhao, Yingxuan 1 ; Lai, Qingxue 1 ; Zhong, Jia 1 ; Liang, Yanyu 2 

1  Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Materials and Technology for Energy Conversion, College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China 
2  Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Materials and Technology for Energy Conversion, College of Materials Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Inorganic Function Composites, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China 
Pages
1-11
Publication year
2019
Publication date
Dec 2019
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
23116706
e-ISSN
21505551
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-019-0264-2
ProQuest document ID
2322329851
Copyright
Nano-Micro Letters is a copyright of Springer, (2019). All Rights Reserved., © 2019. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.