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Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Porous Hollow Carbon Microspheres for Electrochemical Energy Conversion

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Abstract

Nitrogen-doped hierarchical porous hollow carbon microspheres (N-HPHCS) are synthesized using melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resin as carbon and nitrogen sources, sulfonated polystyrene microspheres (SPS) as the core template, and SiO2 nanoparticles as the mesopore forming agent. The obtained microspheres are composed of SPS core and MF/SiO2 composite shell (SPS@MF/SiO2). This SPS@MF/SiO2 is then calcined and acid-treated to obtain N-HPHCS. During the calcination, SPS core is removed, and the micropores are formed on the shell owing to the thermal decomposition of the MF resin. After chemical etching of the SiO2 nanoparticles, mesopores are generated on the carbon shell. The as-prepared sample of N-HPHCS has high surface area and large pore volume, and exhibits catalytic activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The electrocatalytic performance of N-HPHCS can be ascribed not only to the doped nitrogen atoms, but also to the hierarchical porous structure.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors acknowledge the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 51602189, 51803116); Aeronautical Science Foundation of China (2016ZFS6001, 2017ZFS6001); Zhaoqing Xijiang Talent Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Sustainable Energy, Shanghai University, 200444, Shanghai, China

    Li Dong, Xiaolong Chen, Qinsi Shao, Aijun Li, Wei Yan & Jiujun Zhang

  2. Zhaoqing Leoch Battery Technology Co. Ltd., 518000, Shenzhen, China

    Li Dong

  3. School of Materials of Science and Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, 200093, Shanghai, China

    Jie Ma

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  1. Li Dong
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  2. Xiaolong Chen
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  3. Jie Ma
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  4. Qinsi Shao
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  6. Wei Yan
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  7. Jiujun Zhang
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Correspondence to Wei Yan or Jiujun Zhang.

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This paper is dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Professor V.V. Malev who has made a considerable contribution into modern directions of electrochemistry.

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Li Dong, Chen, X., Ma, J. et al. Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Porous Hollow Carbon Microspheres for Electrochemical Energy Conversion. Russ J Electrochem 55, 1098–1109 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1023193519110053

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1023193519110053

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