A Multi-Doped Electrocatalyst for Efficient Hydrazine Oxidation

We report an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxidation of hydrazine, a promising fuel for fuel cells and an important analyte for health and environmental monitoring. To design this material, we emulated natural nitrogen-cycle enzymes, focusing on designing a cooperative, multi-doped active site. The catalytic oxidation occurs on Fe2MoC nano-particles and on edge-positioned nitrogen dopants, all well-dispersed on a hierarchically porous, graphitic carbon matrix that provides active site exposure to mass-transfer and charge flow. The new catalyst is the first carbide with HzOR activity. It operates at the most negative onset potentials reported for carbon-based HzOR catalysts at pH14 (0.28 V vs. RHE), and has good-to-excellent activity at pH values down to 0. It shows high faradaic efficiency for oxidation to N-2 (3.6e(-)/N2H4), and is perfectly stable for at least 2000 cycles.