One-Step Pyrolysis Synthesis of N-, P-, S-Self-Doped Uniform Carbon Nanorods Supported on Lactobacillus plantarum-Derived ORR Electrocatalyst
摘要
Nanoscale uniform natural biomass-derived N-doped carbon oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts are a research hotspot for minimizing internal active site ineffectiveness and enhancing activity stability. This study innovatively proposes using Lactobacillus plantarum from microorganisms as the raw material to prepare oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts via one-step pyrolysis at 850°C. The catalyst exhibits uniform carbon nanorod structure with a diameter of 60 nm. Meanwhile, the as-prepared catalyst (L-850) features a high specific surface area (1071 m2 g−1) and N- (3.3 at.%), P- (0.31 at.%), S- (0.23 at.%) doping content. In terms of electrochemical performance, the half-wave potential (0.843 V) and limiting diffusion current density (5.42 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V) of L-850 are only 6 mV negatively shifted and approximately 0.1 mA cm−2 higher than those of the commercial 20% Pt/C catalyst (half-wave potential: 0.849 V; limiting diffusion current density: 5.32 mA cm−2 at 0.6 V). In addition, L-850 also addresses the intrinsic drawbacks of commercial 20% Pt/C, which is prone to methanol/CO poisoning and exhibits inadequate durability. The above findings demonstrate that microorganisms hold substantial potential for fabricating high-performance and stable ORR catalysts, thereby establishing an innovative connection between microbes and ORR catalysts in the field of fuel cells.