Pyrolysis of Animal Bones with Vitamin B12: A Facile Route to Efficient Transition Metal-Nitrogen-Carbon (TM-N-C) Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Chemistry. 2016 Feb 24;22(9):2896-901. doi: 10.1002/chem.201504983. Epub 2016 Jan 25.

Abstract

By pyrolyzing cattle bones, hierarchical porous carbon (HPC) networks with a high surface area (2520 m(2) g(-1) ) and connected pores were prepared at a low cost and large scale. Subsequent co-pyrolysis of HPC with vitamin B12 resulted in the formation of three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically structured porous cobalt-nitrogen-carbon (Co-N-HPC) electrocatalysts with a surface area as high as 859 m(2) g(-1) as well as a higher oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalytic activity, better operation stability, and higher tolerance to methanol than the commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline electrolyte.

Keywords: animal bones; cobalt-nitrogen-doped carbon; electrocatalyst; hierarchical pores; oxygen reduction reaction.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Catalysis
  • Cobalt / chemistry*
  • Nitrogen / chemistry*
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Porosity
  • Transition Elements / chemistry*
  • Vitamin B 12 / chemistry*

Substances

  • Transition Elements
  • Cobalt
  • Nitrogen
  • Vitamin B 12