A Nitrogen, Sulfur co-Doped Porphyrin-based Covalent Organic Framework as an Efficient Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction

Oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) is a significant reaction for energy conversion systems(such as fuel cells, metal-air batteries, etc.). It is an urgent need to develop cheap, durable and highly-active catalysts for efficient ORR. Hence, we report a metal-free nitrogen and sulfur co-doped porphyrin-based covalent organic framework(COF) as a high-efficiency ORR catalyst[the onset potential(E-o) is 0.79 V and the half-wave potential(E-1/2) is 0.70 V]. The double doping of N and S atoms causes uneven charge distribution around carbon atoms, which can act as catalytic active centers, improving ORR activity. Compared with single-atom doping, double atoms doping exhibits a higher activity due to the synergistic effect between different elements. These results demonstrate that reasonable design of stable metal-free COFs with a high electrochemical activity can promote their wide applications.

Automated summary

ORR is crucial for energy conversion systems, and the development of cheap, durable and highly-active catalysts is urgently needed. This study introduces a metal-free nitrogen and sulfur co-doped porphyrin-based COF as an efficient ORR catalyst, showcasing improved activity and synergistic effects compared to single-atom doping. Reasonable design of stable metal-free COFs with high electrochemical activity can promote their wide applications.