Enhancing Electrocatalytic Performance of Bifunctional Cobalt-Manganese-Oxynitride Nanocatalysts on Graphene

We report the synthesis and characterization of graphene-supported cobalt-manganese-oxynitride nanocatalysts (CoMnON/G) as bifunctional electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A nitriding treatment of spinel compound CoMnO increased the ORR activity considerably, and the most active material catalyzed the ORR with only a 30 mV half-wave potential difference from the commercial carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) in alkaline media. In addition to high activity, the catalyst also exhibited an intrinsic stability that outperformed Pt/C. An appropriately designed nitridation thus facilitates new directions for developing active and durable non-precious-metal oxynitride electocatalysts.