Copper Nanoparticles In-Situ Anchored on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst

Authors

Hui-Fang Yuan, 1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Xinjiang Corps, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;
Yue Zhang, 1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Xinjiang Corps, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;
Xing-Wu Zhai, 2. School of Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;
Li-Bing Hu, 1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Xinjiang Corps, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;
Gui-Xian Ge, 2. School of Science, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;
Gang Wang, 1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Xinjiang Corps, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;
Feng Yu, 1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Xinjiang Corps, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;3. Shihezi University Bingtuan Industrial Technology Research Institute Clean Energy Conversion and Storage Research Group, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;Follow
Bin Dai, 1. Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Process of Xinjiang Corps, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, Xinjiang, China;Follow

Corresponding Author

Feng Yu(yufeng05@mail.ipc.ac.cn);
Bin Dai(db_tea@shzu.edu.cn)

Abstract

Compared with noble metal platinum (Pt)-based catalysts, inexpensive non-noble metal electrocatalysts have attracted extensive attention for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, chitosan as a kind of biomass resource rich in nitrogen and carbon was used to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) and N-C in-situ anchored by copper nanoparticles (Cu/N-C). The as-obtained N-C and Cu/N-C nanoparticles were successfully used as non-noble eletrocatalysts tested for ORR. Compared with the N-C, the Cu/N-C showed the high surface area of 607.3 m ²·g^-1 with the mean pore size of 2.5 nm and the pore volume of 0.40 cm³·g^-1. The most positive Gibbs free energy change was the rate determining step for ORR process with the 4e mechanism, where the value of the Cu(111)/N-C(-0.39 eV) was lower than that of the N-C(-0.26 eV). The Cu/N-C exhibited superior onset and half-wave potentials (0.96 V and 0.84 V, respectively) in alkaline media(0.1 mol·L^-1 KOH), all of which are much better than those measured for N-C and commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, the Cu/N-C showed superior methanol crossover avoidance and oxygen reduction stability.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Cu/N-C, chitosan, biomass resource, electrochemical catalyst, oxygen reduction reaction, carbon-bath method

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.13208/j.electrochem.200724

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Date

2021-12-28

Online Available Date

2021-02-22

Revised Date

2021-02-18

Received Date

2020-07-24

Recommended Citation

Hui-Fang Yuan, Yue Zhang, Xing-Wu Zhai, Li-Bing Hu, Gui-Xian Ge, Gang Wang, Feng Yu, Bin Dai. Copper Nanoparticles In-Situ Anchored on Nitrogen-Doped Carbon for High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction Reaction Electrocatalyst[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2021 , 27(6): 671-680.
DOI:

Compared with noble metal platinum (Pt)-based catalysts, inexpensive non-noble metal electrocatalysts have attracted extensive attention for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, chitosan as a kind of biomass resource rich in nitrogen and carbon was used to prepare nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) and N-C in-situ anchored by copper nanoparticles (Cu/N-C). The as-obtained N-C and Cu/N-C nanoparticles were successfully used as non-noble eletrocatalysts tested for ORR. Compared with the N-C, the Cu/N-C showed the high surface area of 607.3 m ²·g^-1 with the mean pore size of 2.5 nm and the pore volume of 0.40 cm³·g^-1. The most positive Gibbs free energy change was the rate determining step for ORR process with the 4e mechanism, where the value of the Cu(111)/N-C(-0.39 eV) was lower than that of the N-C(-0.26 eV). The Cu/N-C exhibited superior onset and half-wave potentials (0.96 V and 0.84 V, respectively) in alkaline media(0.1 mol·L^-1 KOH), all of which are much better than those measured for N-C and commercial Pt/C. Furthermore, the Cu/N-C showed superior methanol crossover avoidance and oxygen reduction stability.