Co Nanoparticles Confined in Mesoporous Mo/N Co-Doped Polyhedral Carbon Frameworks towards High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction

Exploiting effective non-noble metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial for fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Herein, we designed and fabricated Co nanoparticles confined in Mo/N co-doped polyhedral carbon frameworks (Co-NP/MNCF) derived from polyoxometalate-encapsuled metal-organic framework, which showed comparable ORR performance with commercial Pt/C and a larger diffusion-limited current density. Moreover, the Co-NP/MNCF also exhibited excellent ORR stability and methanol tolerance. These appealing performances can be attributed to the porosity regulation and heteroatom doping of metal-organic framework derived polyhedral carbon frameworks, which could be beneficial for the exposure of more active sites, the optimization of electronic structure and the mass transfer of electrolyte/electron/ion.

Automated summary

We designed and fabricated Co nanoparticles confined in Mo/N co-doped polyhedral carbon frameworks derived from polyoxometalate-encapsulated metal-organic framework. The resulting Co-NP/MNCF showed comparable ORR performance with commercial Pt/C and exhibited excellent ORR stability and methanol tolerance. These appealing performances can be attributed to the porosity regulation and heteroatom doping of the metal-organic framework derived polyhedral carbon frameworks, which promote the exposure of active sites, optimization of electronic structure, and mass transfer of electrolyte/electron/ion.