Nitrogen-Doped Carbon-Encapsulated FeCo Alloy Nanostructures with Surface-Dangling Fe(Co)-N xActive Sites for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline and Acid Media

Xiao Wei Song, Haihong Zhong, Kexin Xu, Luis Alberto Estudillo-Wong, Miaomiao Pei, Meixue Cao, Heng Xu, Nicolas Alonso-Vante, Yongjun Feng, Dianqing Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Simultaneously increasing the activity and stability of the transition metal-based catalysts is critical for nonprecious metal catalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Herein, FeCo alloy nanoparticles encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) materials with surface-dangling M-Nxactive sites were fabricated, and the corresponding electrocatalytic performance was carefully investigated toward ORR in both alkaline and acid media. The coexistence of M-Nxactive species (Co5.47N or FeN0.0324) and FeCo alloy makes the ORR reactivity strongly enhanced compared to the counterparts with only M-Nxor FeCo species. Density functional theory calculations clearly reveal that the synergistic effect between FeCo, Fe-Nx, and NC can induce the hybridization effect between d orbitals of Fe/Co and p orbitals of N/C atoms, and thus favor the desorption of *OH intermediates. Therefore, the FeN0.0324-FeCo@NC nanocatalyst with abundant mesopores and macropores shows enhanced electrocatalytic performance in both media (E1/2are 0.86 and 0.74 V, respectively).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)18035-18047
Number of pages13
JournalACS Applied Nano Materials
Volume5
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - 23 Dec 2022

Keywords

  • ZnCo-ZIF precursor
  • alloy nanoparticles
  • hierarchical porous structure
  • oxygen reduction reaction
  • synergistic effect

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