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Research Article | Open Access

Metal-free carbon-nitrogen@carbon-type hybrid electrocatalysts for peroxide-producing oxygen reduction reaction

Bin Wu1,2, Dulce M. Morales3,4, Mingren Liu5,6, Dongjiu Xie7, Ping Feng7, Yan Lu7, Marcel Risch3, Martin Oschatz5,6, Tristan Petit1 ( )
Young Investigator Group Nanoscale Solid-Liquid Interfaces, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Institute of Physics, Humboldt University Berlin, 12489 Berlin, Germany
Nachwuchsgruppe Gestaltung des Sauerstoffentwicklungsmechanismus, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH, 14109 Berlin, Germany
Engineering and Technology Institute Groningen (ENTEG), Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Groningen, 9747 AG, Groningen, Netherlands
Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Institute for Technical Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry, 07743 Jena, Germany
Center for Energy and Environmental Chemistry Jena (CEEC Jena), 07743 Jena, Germany
Institute of Electrochemical Energy Storage, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, 14109 Berlin, Germany
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Graphical Abstract

Metal-free nanoporous catalysts supported on carbon with high selectivity toward the 2-electron oxygenreduction reaction are reported. The origin of the selectivity is discussed based on the nitrogen content anddegree of graphitization.

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a widely utilized chemical in environmental cleaning, medical disinfection, and chemical engineering. Compared to the traditional anthraquinone oxidation method, the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has become a promising alternative following the trends towards decentralized production schemes for base chemicals as well as the implementation of renewable energy sources to drive chemical reactions. ORR is attractive for the production of H2O2 due to its environmental friendliness, safety, and reliability. However, its wider application is still restricted by the sluggish reaction kinetics and low selectivity due to the competitive reaction of the oxygen reduction to H2O. In this context, nitrogen-rich carbon electrocatalysts with tunable adsorption properties and high electrical conductivity are promising materials for improved selectivity. A precise tailoring of their chemical structure is however required to embed peroxide-producing catalytic sites within a conductive environment. Herein, a metal-free carbon-nitrogen (CN)-type nanoporous carbon loaded onto a carbon matrix (CN@C) was designed as an ORR catalyst for highly selective peroxide synthesis in alkaline media. An average electron transfer number of 2.2 has been determined by the Koutecký–Levich analysis, indicating that CN@C materials exhibit a high selectivity for electrochemical H2O2 synthesis.

Keywords

hybridselectrocatalystsoxygen reduction reactionmetal-free electrocatalystnanoporous carbon

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Carbon Future
Volume 1 Issue 4,
December 2024
Article number: 9200022
DOI: 10.26599/CF.2024.9200022
Cite this article:
Wu B, Morales DM, Liu M, et al. Metal-free carbon-nitrogen@carbon-type hybrid electrocatalysts for peroxide-producing oxygen reduction reaction. Carbon Future, 2024, 1(4): 9200022. https://doi.org/10.26599/CF.2024.9200022

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Received: 01 August 2024
Revised: 08 October 2024
Accepted: 01 November 2024
Published: 22 November 2024
© The Author(s) 2024.

Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. See https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
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