Co@C Nanoparticle Embedded Hierarchically Porous N-Doped Hollow Carbon for Efficient Oxygen Reduction

The rational construction of highly active and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an ongoing challenge for practical applications of catalysts. Here, we report a novel nanostructured hollow N-doped carbon hybrid through pyrolysis of silica@CoZn-coordinated zeolitic imidazolate frameworks. The carbon layer encased cobalt nanoparticles were embedded in the hierarchically porous carbon catalyst (Co@C-HN-hC). Profiting from the synergistic effect between highly active Co@C NPs and HN-hC, the Co@C-HN-hC catalyst exhibited remarkable catalytic performances as compared to porous N-doped hollow carbon (N-hC) and N-doped carbon encased Co NPs (Co@N-C). The electrochemical measurements show that the performances of the Co@C-HN-hC catalyst is close to that of the Pt/C catalysts, along with an excellent stability and durability in the ORR process. This study provides a guideline for controllable design of carbon-based ORR catalysts for substituting noble metal catalysts.