FeWO4/nitrogen-doped multi-dimensional porous carbon for the highly efficient and stable oxygen reduction reaction

Non-precious metal oxygen reduction catalysts still present considerable challenges in ensuring activity and stability in acidic/alkaline media. In this paper, the tungstate with excellent stability is selected as the electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). FeWO4/nitrogen-doped multi-dimensional porous carbon (FeWO4/N-MPC) catalyst was successfully synthesized by freeze-drying and rapid calcination methods. FeWO4/N-MPC exhibited a multi-dimensional porous carbon structure with uniformly distributing FeWO4 nanoparticles. The nitrogen-doped multi-dimensional porous carbon structure composed of nanofibers and nanosheets can significantly improve the transport efficiency of charge and O-2 and effectively protect the FeWO4 nanoparticles, further leading to enhance catalytic activity and stability of FeWO4/N-MPC. Thus, FeWO4/N-MPC exhibited excellent catalytic performance for ORR in acidic/alkaline media. The long-term durability of FeWO4/N-MPC was also remarkably more outstanding than that of 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst in acidic/alkaline media. The long-term durability of FeWO4/N-MPC had also made it possible to apply in metal-air batteries and fuel cells. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, FeWO4/N-MPC catalyst with excellent stability was successfully synthesized by freeze-drying and rapid calcination methods. The catalyst demonstrated outstanding catalytic performance for ORR in acidic/alkaline media and remarkable long-term durability compared to Pt/C catalyst. FeWO4/N-MPC's long-term durability also makes it suitable for applications in metal-air batteries and fuel cells.