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Well-defined carbon nanoframes containing bimetal-N-C active sites as efficient bi-functional electrocatalysts for Li-O2 batteries

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Abstract

Design and fabrication of framework-structured porous precursors have been regarded as a prospective albeit challenging strategy to obtain bimetal/NC-enriched bifunctional elecrocatalysts. In this work, an effective bottom-up approach involving solution-based self-assembly and a post-annealing process was developed to confine (Co, Zn)-N-C active sites into N-enriched graphitic carbon nanocages. This novel architecture containing N-doped-C stabilized bimetallic nanoparticles derived from ZIF precursors was well-studied by a series of characterization and analysis techniques. Details were given that these well-dispersed (Co, Zn) nanoparticles were encapsulated into the pyridinic-N-dominated graphitic carbon nanocage with a total metal loading of approximately 7.4 at.%. This favorable hierarchical structure not only enhances the electron conductivity, but also owns a sufficient BET surface area facilitating the gas-liquid-solid triphase reaction and producing more space to store discharge products. Importantly, results infer that the interesting nanoframes manifests a satisfying ORR/OER activity and enhanced cell performance whether liquid or solid-state electrolytes are used. As such, our work rationalizes that this type of cage-shaped bimetal-N-C material is promising for high-performance Li-O2 batteries.

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks the financial supports from the National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2014CB932301), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21473040) and Science & Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, China (No. 08DZ2270500).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials, Institute of New Energy, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China

    Tie Liu & Aishui Yu

  2. Laboratory of Advanced Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China

    Leidanyang Wang & Tao Huang

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  1. Tie Liu
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Correspondence to Aishui Yu.

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Well-defined carbon nanoframes containing bimetal-N-C active sites as efficient bi-functional electrocatalysts for Li-O2 batteries

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Liu, T., Wang, L., Huang, T. et al. Well-defined carbon nanoframes containing bimetal-N-C active sites as efficient bi-functional electrocatalysts for Li-O2 batteries. Nano Res. 12, 517–523 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-018-2244-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-018-2244-0

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