AUTHOR=Qasim Maryam , Hou Jianhua , Qadeer M. A. , Butt Sajid , Farooq M. Hassan , Farooq M. Qasim , Idrees Faryal , Tanveer M. , Zou Jijun , Tahir Muhammad 

TITLE=Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanosheets Decorated With Mn2O3 Nanoparticles for Excellent Oxygen Reduction Reaction

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2019.00741

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2019.00741

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>The purpose of this study is to develop an active, low cost, non-precious, stable, and high-performance catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In this regard, Mn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>-decorated nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets (Mn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/NC) are fabricated by a two-step strategy involving a hydrothermal method and a solid-state method. In the resultant structures, very fine Mn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles with an average size of about 5 nm are strongly attached to nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets. The role of the Mn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles is to provide active sites for ORR, while the presence of the nitrogen-doped carbon not only enhances the conductivity of the overall structure but is also helpful for overall stability. The Mn<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>/NC shows good onset potential (0.80 V@−1 mA/cm<sup>2</sup>), methanol crossover effect, and stability (90%).</p>