Poly(ionic liquid)-mediated regulation of the structural integrity of ZIF-8-derived porous carbon for enhanced mass...

An ionic liquid (IL) monomer, [VBIM][BF₄], was in situ photopolymerized (PIL) and grown throughout the framework of ZIF-8. We show that PIL effectively mitigates skeleton collapse through physical confinement pyrolysis within 3D interconnected pores that stabilize the ligands, thereby maintaining the well-defined morphology and hierarchical pore structure of the ZIF-8 derived carbon pseudomorph. The resulting advanced catalyst exhibits enhanced intrinsic activity through rapid mass transport during the ORR process, achieving an enhanced turnover frequency.