A graphene-like nanoribbon for efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts

Hongliang Peng; Diancheng Duan; Siyan Liu; Jiaxi Liu; Lixian Sun; Pengru Huang; Chunfeng Shao; Kexiang Zhang; Huanzhi Zhang; Xiaogang Xue; Fen Xu; Yongjin Zou; Yalin Liu; Xinlong Tian; Federico Rosei

doi:10.1039/D1TA06078C

A graphene-like nanoribbon for efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts†

Hongliang Peng,

‡^a Diancheng Duan,‡^ab Siyan Liu,‡^a Jiaxi Liu,^a Lixian Sun,

*^a Pengru Huang,

^a Chunfeng Shao,^b Kexiang Zhang,^a Huanzhi Zhang,

^a Xiaogang Xue,

^a Fen Xu,^a Yongjin Zou,^a Yalin Liu,^c Xinlong Tian

*^c and Federico Rosei

*^d

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Guangxi Key Laboratory of Information Material, School of Material Science and Engineering, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, P. R. China
E-mail: sunlx@guet.edu.cn
Tel: +86 18378310998

^b Key Laboratory of Fuel Cell Technology of Guangdong Province, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510640, People's Republic of China

^c State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan Provincial Key Lab of Fine Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, P. R. China
E-mail: tianxl@hainanu.edu.cn

^d Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, 1650 Boul. Lionel Boulet, Varennes, Québec, Canada
E-mail: rosei@emt.inrs.ca

Abstract

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are conducive to full exposure of catalyst sites, which can be used to synthesize highly efficient electrocatalysts. However, the design of stable and efficient GNR catalysts remains a great challenge. Herein, a novel iron and cobalt co-doped carbon-based catalyst (C-MP-FeCo) with a GNR structure has been developed by a facile and one-step heat-treatment method. C-MP-FeCo is an excellent bifunctional electrocatalyst for low potential difference ΔE between the oxygen-evolution reaction and oxygen-reduction reaction (ΔE_C-MP-FeCo = 0.70 V vs. ΔE_{(Pt/C+RuO₂)} = 0.765 V). The maximum power reached 331 mW cm⁻² at 0.97 V for a Zn–air battery derived from the C-MP-FeCo catalyst, and with the Pt/C + RuO₂ catalyst it was only 249 mW cm⁻² at 0.89 V; also, better discharge performance, voltage efficiency and durability were delivered by the former catalyst. Our findings show that the main methods of increasing electrocatalytic activity are (1) forming GNRs and exposing active sites, and (2) exploiting the synergistic effects of Fe, Co, N, and F.

Journal of Materials Chemistry A

A graphene-like nanoribbon for efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts†

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A graphene-like nanoribbon for efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts

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