AUTHOR=Cheng Gao , Liu Guanliang , Liu Peng , Chen Liya , Han Shengbo , Han Jiaxi , Ye Fei , Song Wei , Lan Bang , Sun Ming , Yu Lin 

TITLE=Nitrogen-Doped Ketjenblack Carbon Supported Co3O4 Nanoparticles as a Synergistic Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2019.00766

DOI=10.3389/fchem.2019.00766

ISSN=2296-2646

ABSTRACT=<p>Developing a highly active and cost-effective cathode electrocatalyst with strong stability for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is extremely necessary. In this work, we reported a facile synthetic path to prepare a hybrid nanostructure formed of nitrogen-doped Ketjenblack carbon (N-KC) supported Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> nanoparticles (Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/N-KC), which could be used as a promising and stable electrocatalyst for ORR. Compared with the physical mixture of Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> and N-KC and pure N-KC samples, the resulting Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/N-KC nanohybrid afforded remarkably superb ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.82 V (vs. reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and a limiting current density of 5.70 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> in KOH solution (0.1 M). Surprisingly, the Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/N-KC sample possessed a similar electrocatalytic activity but better durability to the 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. The remarkable ORR activity of the Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/N-KC nanohybrid was mainly due to the strong coupling effect between Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> and N-KC, the N species dopant, high electroconductivity, and the large BET surface area. Our work enlightens the exploitation of advanced Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/carbon hybrid material alternative to the Pt-based electrocatalysts.</p>