Polyaniline nanosheet derived B/N co-doped carbon nanosheets as efficient metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. A, Materials for energy and sustainability Materials for energy and sustainability, 2014-01, Vol.2 (21), p.7742-7746
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yi, Zhuang, Xiaodong, Su, Yuezeng, Zhang, Fan, Feng, Xinliang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon; Current density; Graphene; Methyl alcohol; Nanostructure; Polyanilines; Reduction; Two dimensional
• ISSN: 2050-7488; 2050-7496
• DOI: 10.1039/c4ta00814f

A novel B/N co-doped porous carbon nanosheet with a high heteroatom doping content has been successfully prepared. Using amino-functionalized graphene oxide (GO) as the template, oxidation polymerization of aniline, 3-aminophenylboronic acid, and m-phenylenediamine generates GO-based polyaniline nanosheets functionalized with boronic acid (GO-CBP). After high-temperature treatment, graphene-based B/N co-doped carbon nanosheets (G-CBP) are obtained, which show a typical 2D morphology with a thickness of similar to 20 nm. After CO sub(2) activation at 1000 degree C, the obtained porous carbon nanosheets (G-CBP-a) have a thickness of similar to 17 nm and a high specific surface area of 363 m super(2) g super(-1). Benefiting from its high surface area, unique 2D sheet nanostructure, and high heteroatom-doping contents (5.4% B and 5.3% N), G-CBP-a exhibits excellent electrochemical performance for the oxygen reduction reaction under alkaline conditions (0.1 M KOH), with a low half-wave potential (-0.27 V for G-CBP-a versus-0.18 V for Pt/C), a dominant four-electron transfer mechanism (n= 3.78 at -0.45 V), and excellent methanol tolerance and durability (10% current decrease after 20 000 s operation), as well as a high diffusion-limiting current density (J sub(L) = -4.5 mA cm super(-2)).