High oxygen reduction activity of few-walled carbon nanotubes with low nitrogen content

Author(s)
Maryam Borghei, Petri Kanninen, Meri Lundahl, Toma Susi, Jani Sainio, Ilya Anoshkin, Albert Nasibulin, Tanja Kallio, Kaido Tammeveski, Esko Kauppinen, Viginia Ruiz
Abstract

Nitrogen-containing few-walled carbon nanotubes (N-FWCNTs) with very low nitrogen content (0.56 at.%) were obtained by a process involving the coating of acid functionalized FWCNTs with polyaniline (PANI) followed by pyrolysis at high temperatures. The resulting N-FWCNTs exhibited a remarkable electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), despite significantly lower nitrogen content than previously reported in literature. The N-FWCNTs performed on par or better than Pt-C in the cathode of an alkaline direct methanol fuel cell, corroborating the ORR activity observed in the electrochemical cell and exhibiting a higher methanol tolerance. Interestingly, N-FWCNTs showed a high activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction and for the hydrogen peroxide decomposition, suggesting that the active sites involved in ORR can simultaneously catalyze other reactions. This unprecedentedly high activity for such a low N-content can be explained by the exceptional accessibility for the catalytic sites located in open and porous N-doped layer surrounding the FWCNT core, along with the minimization of inactive inner volume and mass compared to larger nitrogen doped multiwalled tubes.

Organisation(s)
Electronic Properties of Materials
External organisation(s)
Aalto University, University of Tartu, CIDETEC
Journal
Applied Catalysis B: Environmental
Volume
158-159
Pages
233-241
No. of pages
9
ISSN
0926-3373
Publication date
10-2014
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103020 Surface physics, 103018 Materials physics, 103009 Solid state physics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Environmental Science(all), Process Chemistry and Technology, Catalysis
Portal url
https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/high-oxygen-reduction-activity-of-fewwalled-carbon-nanotubes-with-low-nitrogen-content(60ef11d3-2b62-4dc3-a2d1-8d95424afcab).html