Cobalt-Nitrogen-Doped Helical Carbonaceous Nanotubes as a Class of Efficient Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is of significant importance in the development of fuel cells. Now, cobalt-nitrogen-doped chiral carbonaceous nanotubes (L/D-CCNTs-Co) are presented as efficient electrocatalysts for ORR. The chiral template, N-stearyl-L/D-glutamic acid, induces the self-assembly of well-arranged polypyrrole and the formation of ordered graphene carbon with helical structures at the molecular level after the pyrolysis process. Co was subsequently introduced through the post-synthesis method. The obtained L/D-CCNTs-Co exhibits superior ORR performance, including long-term stability and better methanol tolerance compared to achiral Co-doped carbon materials and commercial Pt/C. DFT calculations demonstrate that the charges on the twisted surface of L/D-CCNTs are widely separated; as a result the Co atoms are more exposed on the chiral CCNTs. This work gives us a new understanding of the effects of helical structures in electrocatalysis.