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Updated: Sep 24, 2025
Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
Co-doped carbon materials synthesized with polymeric precursors as bifunctional electrocatalysts
Imran Karajagi1,2, K Ramya1, P C Ghosh3
1Centre for Fuel Cell Technology (CFCT), International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) 2nd Floor, IIT-M Research Park, Block E, 6 Kanagam Road, Taramani Chennai - 600113 India ramya@arci.res.in.
Metal-free electrocatalysts are essential for alkaline zinc-air batteries. Nitrogen-phosphorus-carbon (NPC) materials show excellent bifunctional oxygen reduction and evolution reaction activity and stability, outperforming platinum catalysts.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Developing stable, high-performance, metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts is crucial for alkaline zinc-air batteries.
- These catalysts are needed to facilitate both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and evaluate novel co-doped carbon materials as metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts.
- To investigate the impact of nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus doping on the catalytic activity and stability for ORR and OER.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized 3D microporous nitrogen-carbon (NC), nitrogen-sulfur-carbon (NSC), and nitrogen-phosphorus-carbon (NPC) materials from poly(2,5-benzimidazole).
- Evaluated the electrocatalytic performance of the synthesized materials in alkaline media for ORR and OER.
- Compared the performance against commercial Pt/C catalyst.
Main Results:
- The synthesized sheet-like NPC, NSC, and NC materials exhibited outstanding ORR and OER performance with excellent stability.
- NPC demonstrated superior bifunctional activity (ΔE = 0.82 V) compared to NSC (0.87 V), NC (1.06 V), and Pt/C (1.03 V).
- NPC showed lower ORR and OER overpotentials (290 mV, 410 mV) than NSC (310 mV, 450 mV) and NC (340 mV, 600 mV), indicating higher activity.
Conclusions:
- Co-doped carbon materials, particularly NPC, are highly effective metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts for alkaline zinc-air batteries.
- Phosphorus doping significantly influences the microstructure and enhances both ORR and OER activity.
- The developed NPC catalyst offers a promising alternative to precious metal catalysts, showing competitive performance and stability.
