Hierarchical Porous Carbon Sponge with High Capacitance and High Catalytic Activity for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Herein, a unique carbon sponge FeNC@GA-MF with a hierarchical porous structure was prepared by a multi-step self-assembly strategy, with a high surface area of 1184.8 m2 g-1, a pseudocapacitance of 133.5 F g-1, and also superior activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (E1/2 = 0.866 VRHE). The Zn-air battery fabricated with the FeNC@GA-MF cathode delivers a peak power density of 156 mW cm-2 and a satisfied stability, outperforming the Pt/C cathode, benefiting from the high intrinsic activity and large surface area of the unique hierarchical porous structure. This work provides an effective strategy to fabricate self-supporting electrodes for fuel cells and supercapacitors.

Automated summary

In this study, a unique carbon sponge FeNC@GA-MF with a hierarchical porous structure was prepared by a multi-step self-assembly strategy, exhibiting superior activity for the oxygen reduction reaction and successfully applied in Zn-air batteries. This work provides a beneficial method for fabricating self-supporting electrodes for fuel cells and supercapacitors.