FeN4 Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium

Chaojun Lei; Hengquan Chen; Junhui Cao; Jian Yang; Ming Qiu; Ying Xia; Chris Yuan; Bin Yang; Zhongjian Li; Xingwang Zhang; Lecheng Lei; Janel Abbott; Yu Zhong; Xinhui Xia; Gang Wu; Qinggang He; Yang Hou

doi:10.1002/aenm.201801912

FeN₄ Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium

Chaojun Lei, Hengquan Chen, Junhui Cao, Jian Yang, Ming Qiu, Ying Xia, Chris Yuan, Bin Yang, Zhongjian Li, Xingwang Zhang, Lecheng Lei, Janel Abbott, Yu Zhong, Xinhui Xia, Gang Wu, Qinggang He, Yang Hou

Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

223 Scopus citations

Abstract

Development of inexpensive and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in acidic environment is very challenging, but it is important for practical proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. A molecular iron–nitrogen coordinated carbon nanofiber is developed, which is supported on an electrochemically exfoliated graphene (FeN₄/NF/EG) electrocatalyst through carbonizing the precursor composed of iron ions absorbed on polyaniline-electrodeposited EG. Benefitting from the unique 3D structure, the FeN₄/NF/EG hybrid exhibits a low overpotential of ≈294 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² for the OER in acidic electrolyte, which is much lower than that of commercial Ir/C catalysts (320 mV) as well as all previously reported acid transitional metal-derived OER electrocatalysts. X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with a designed poisoning experiment reveals that the molecular FeN₄ species are identified as active centers for the OER in acid. The first-principles-based calculations verify that the FeN₄–doped carbon structure is capable of reducing the potential barriers and boosting the electrocatalytic OER activity in acid.

Original language	English
Article number	1801912
Journal	Advanced Energy Materials
Volume	8
Issue number	26
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201801912
State	Published - Sep 14 2018

Keywords

acidic electrolyte
electrocatalysis
FeN sites
nanocarbon
water oxidation

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10.1002/aenm.201801912

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Lei, C., Chen, H., Cao, J., Yang, J., Qiu, M., Xia, Y., Yuan, C., Yang, B., Li, Z., Zhang, X., Lei, L., Abbott, J., Zhong, Y., Xia, X., Wu, G., He, Q., & Hou, Y. (2018). FeN₄ Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium. Advanced Energy Materials, 8(26), Article 1801912. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201801912

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title = "FeN4 Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium",

abstract = "Development of inexpensive and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in acidic environment is very challenging, but it is important for practical proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. A molecular iron–nitrogen coordinated carbon nanofiber is developed, which is supported on an electrochemically exfoliated graphene (FeN4/NF/EG) electrocatalyst through carbonizing the precursor composed of iron ions absorbed on polyaniline-electrodeposited EG. Benefitting from the unique 3D structure, the FeN4/NF/EG hybrid exhibits a low overpotential of ≈294 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the OER in acidic electrolyte, which is much lower than that of commercial Ir/C catalysts (320 mV) as well as all previously reported acid transitional metal-derived OER electrocatalysts. X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with a designed poisoning experiment reveals that the molecular FeN4 species are identified as active centers for the OER in acid. The first-principles-based calculations verify that the FeN4–doped carbon structure is capable of reducing the potential barriers and boosting the electrocatalytic OER activity in acid.",

keywords = "acidic electrolyte, electrocatalysis, FeN sites, nanocarbon, water oxidation",

author = "Chaojun Lei and Hengquan Chen and Junhui Cao and Jian Yang and Ming Qiu and Ying Xia and Chris Yuan and Bin Yang and Zhongjian Li and Xingwang Zhang and Lecheng Lei and Janel Abbott and Yu Zhong and Xinhui Xia and Gang Wu and Qinggang He and Yang Hou",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim",

year = "2018",

month = sep,

day = "14",

doi = "10.1002/aenm.201801912",

language = "English",

volume = "8",

journal = "Advanced Energy Materials",

issn = "1614-6832",

number = "26",

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Lei, C, Chen, H, Cao, J, Yang, J, Qiu, M, Xia, Y, Yuan, C, Yang, B, Li, Z, Zhang, X, Lei, L, Abbott, J, Zhong, Y, Xia, X, Wu, G, He, Q & Hou, Y 2018, 'FeN₄ Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium', Advanced Energy Materials, vol. 8, no. 26, 1801912. https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201801912

TY - JOUR

T1 - FeN4 Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium

AU - Lei, Chaojun

AU - Chen, Hengquan

AU - Cao, Junhui

AU - Yang, Jian

AU - Qiu, Ming

AU - Xia, Ying

AU - Yuan, Chris

AU - Yang, Bin

AU - Li, Zhongjian

AU - Zhang, Xingwang

AU - Lei, Lecheng

AU - Abbott, Janel

AU - Zhong, Yu

AU - Xia, Xinhui

AU - Wu, Gang

AU - He, Qinggang

AU - Hou, Yang

PY - 2018/9/14

Y1 - 2018/9/14

N2 - Development of inexpensive and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in acidic environment is very challenging, but it is important for practical proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. A molecular iron–nitrogen coordinated carbon nanofiber is developed, which is supported on an electrochemically exfoliated graphene (FeN4/NF/EG) electrocatalyst through carbonizing the precursor composed of iron ions absorbed on polyaniline-electrodeposited EG. Benefitting from the unique 3D structure, the FeN4/NF/EG hybrid exhibits a low overpotential of ≈294 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the OER in acidic electrolyte, which is much lower than that of commercial Ir/C catalysts (320 mV) as well as all previously reported acid transitional metal-derived OER electrocatalysts. X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with a designed poisoning experiment reveals that the molecular FeN4 species are identified as active centers for the OER in acid. The first-principles-based calculations verify that the FeN4–doped carbon structure is capable of reducing the potential barriers and boosting the electrocatalytic OER activity in acid.

AB - Development of inexpensive and efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in acidic environment is very challenging, but it is important for practical proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers. A molecular iron–nitrogen coordinated carbon nanofiber is developed, which is supported on an electrochemically exfoliated graphene (FeN4/NF/EG) electrocatalyst through carbonizing the precursor composed of iron ions absorbed on polyaniline-electrodeposited EG. Benefitting from the unique 3D structure, the FeN4/NF/EG hybrid exhibits a low overpotential of ≈294 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for the OER in acidic electrolyte, which is much lower than that of commercial Ir/C catalysts (320 mV) as well as all previously reported acid transitional metal-derived OER electrocatalysts. X-ray absorption spectroscopy coupled with a designed poisoning experiment reveals that the molecular FeN4 species are identified as active centers for the OER in acid. The first-principles-based calculations verify that the FeN4–doped carbon structure is capable of reducing the potential barriers and boosting the electrocatalytic OER activity in acid.

KW - acidic electrolyte

KW - electrocatalysis

KW - FeN sites

KW - nanocarbon

KW - water oxidation

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85052472726&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1002/aenm.201801912

DO - 10.1002/aenm.201801912

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85052472726

SN - 1614-6832

VL - 8

JO - Advanced Energy Materials

JF - Advanced Energy Materials

IS - 26

M1 - 1801912

ER -

FeN₄ Sites Embedded into Carbon Nanofiber Integrated with Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphene for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Medium

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Keywords

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