Facile one-pot, one-step synthesis of a carbon nanoarchitecture for an advanced multifunctonal electrocatalyst

A one-pot/one-step synthesis strategy was developed for the preparation of a nitrogen-doped carbon nanoarchitecture with graphene-nanosheet growth on the inner surface of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The N-graphene/CNT hybrids exhibit outstanding electrocatalytic activity for several important electrochemical reactions as a result of their unique morphology and defect structures, such as high but uniform nitrogen doping, graphene insertion into CNTs, considerable surface area, and the presence of iron nanoparticles. The high-yield synthetic process features high efficiency, low-cost, straightforward operation, and simple equipment.