Fabrication of Multi‐pore Structure Cu, N‐codoped Porous Carbon‐based Catalyst and its Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalytic Performance for Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

Abstract The development of a non‐noble metal cathode ORR catalyst with low cost, high activity and high stability has become an inevitable trend in MFC. The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient and stable Cu, N‐codoped porous carbons catalysts with multi‐pore structure for MFC. Herein, Cu, N‐codoped porous carbons materials (Cu−NC−T) with high N content and multi‐pore structure were successfully developed by co‐pyrolysis with MOF‐199 and melamine. By contrast, Cu‐doped porous carbon (Cu−C−T) without melamine was synthesized using MOF‐199 as template. The results showed that Cu−NC−T possessed a rough octahedral crystal with a unique multi‐mesopore structure with pore centers of 3.4 nm and 11.2 nm, respectively. Owing to high N content, abundantly exposed Cu−N x active sites and the multi‐pore structure, Cu−NC−800 had a pronounced electrochemical ORR activity in neutral solution (onset potential and limiting current density were 0.161 V and −6.256 mA ⋅ cm −2 ), which were slightly lower than 20 wt % Pt/C (0.189 V and −6.479 mA ⋅ cm −2 ). Moreover, the MFC with Cu−NC−800 showed a power density of 662.8±3.6 mW ⋅ m −2 , which was higher than that of Cu−C−800 (425.7±3.9 mW ⋅ m −2 ) and was slightly lower than that 20 wt % Pt/C (815.0±6.2 mW ⋅ m −2 ). The output voltage of MFC with Cu−NC−T had no obvious decreasing trend in 30 days, demonstrating that the Cu−NC−T had great stability.

Key findings

• ▸Cu−NC−T possessed a rough octahedral crystal with a unique multi-mesopore structure
• ▸High N content and abundantly exposed Cu−N active sites contributed to the catalyst's electrochemical ORR activity
• ▸The MFC with Cu−NC−800 showed a pronounced power output

Keywords

Identifiers

DOI

10.1002/elan.202200266

Journal

Electroanalysis

Year

2022