Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Mesoporous Carbon Spheres with Extra-Large Pores through Assembly of Diblock Copolymer Micelles

The synthesis of highly nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon spheres (NMCS) is reported. The large pores of the NMCS were obtained through self-polymerization of dopamine (DA) and spontaneous co-assembly of diblock copolymer micelles. The resultant narrowly dispersed NMCS possess large mesopores (ca. 16nm) and small particle sizes (ca. 200nm). The large pores and small dimensions of the N-heteroatom-doped carbon spheres contribute to the mass transportation by reducing and smoothing the diffusion pathways, leading to high electrocatalytic activity.