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Trace copper and bi-nonmetallic (N/S) modified ketjenblack (KB) as advanced electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions

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Abstract

The sluggish oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been one of the most majority bottlenecks of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. It is extremely desirable but challenging to explore low cost, highly active, stable catalysts toward ORR to replace commercial Pt/C catalysts. Herein, a novel hybrid system consisting of trace copper and bi-nonmetallic (N/S) modified the commercial ketjenblack (KB) carbon (Cu–NS–C) has been successfully fabricated by a pyrolysis of Cu–MOF/KB and thiourea to transform crystalline Cu/Cu2O nanoparticles into copper sulfide nanoparticles and the subsequent acid leaching. The optimized Cu–NS–C delivers a half-wave potential of 0.81 V versus RHE and a limiting-current density of 5.0 mA cm−2, which is next to those of commercial 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, this catalyst demonstrates much better durability and methanol tolerance than Pt/C catalyst.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20200991), Suzhou Science and Technology Planning Project (SS202016), the USTS starting fund (No.332012104) and the Natural Science Foundation of Suzhou University of Science and Technology (No.342134401). We are grateful to Central South University Laboratory for some of the experimental tests. Additionally, thanks for Pro. Tang Yougen and Pro. Wang Haiyan during writing and editing of this manuscript.

Funding

We would like to acknowledge the financial support from the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20200991), Suzhou Science and Technology Planning Project (SS202016), the USTS starting fund (No.332012104) and the Natural Science Foundation of Suzhou University of Science and Technology (No.342134401).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Materials Science and Devices, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215011, People’s Republic of China

    Lvfei Liu, Yao Zhang, Yunjie Gu, Shuaichen Ge & Jingsha Li

  2. TBEA Xi’an Electric Technology Co., Ltd., Xi’an, 710117, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China

    Jiangwen Qu

  3. School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, People’s Republic of China

    Naiguang Wang

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  1. Lvfei Liu
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All authors contributed to conception, experimental design, and manuscript composition. The manuscript was written through contributions of all authors. All authors have given approval to the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Jingsha Li.

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Liu, L., Zhang, Y., Gu, Y. et al. Trace copper and bi-nonmetallic (N/S) modified ketjenblack (KB) as advanced electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions. J Mater Sci 59, 9250–9264 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09732-z

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