Transition metal/nitrogen dual doped mesoporous graphene like carbon nanosheets for the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions.
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been considered as a key step in energy conversion processes. Here, a novel and simple Mg(OH)2 nanocasting method is adopted to fabricate Co and N co doped porous graphene like carbon nanosheets (Co@N PGCS) by using chitosan as both carbon and N sources. The as obtained Co@N PGCS shows a mesopore dominated structure as well as a high specific surface area (1716 cm(2) g( 1) As a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards both the ORR and OER, it shows favorable ORR performance compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst with an onset potential of 0.075 V and a half wave potential of 0.151 V in 0.1 M KOH solutions. Furthermore, it also displays considerable OER properties compared with commercial IrO2. The effective catalytic activity could originate from the introduction of transition metal species and few layer mesoporous carbon structures.
Nanoscale