High-entropy carbon nanodots as metal-free electrochemical catalysts for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions
摘要
Carbon-based high-entropy materials represent an exclusive class of nanomaterials that incorporate several elements in their structural building and thereby possess a potential for energy storage applications. This multi-elemental composition exhibits several beneficial properties, including improved stability, tunable photoluminescence, and catalytic activities. Herein, high-entropy carbon nanodots (HE CNDs) were synthesized and has a potential for metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acid and alkaline electrolyte. Production of three different types of CNDs doped with dopants such as oxygen, nitrogen, boron, sulfur, and phosphorus was achieved by using an efficient solid-state microwave synthesis method from the pyrolysis of carbon and dopant precursors under a pulse microwave irradiation process at 250 °C. Catalytic electrodes based on the HE CND exhibit an exceptionally high electrochemically active surface area and durability under long-term operation, when catalyzing both ORR and OER activities in electrolytes. Both heteroatoms in the nanostructure of the CND and their sp3/sp2 hybridization level enhance both ORR and OER catalysis performance. The synthesized CNDs have high promise due to enhanced catalytic activity and superior durability as metal-free and cost-effective catalysts, making it have great potential applications in energy storage device fabrication, especially in fuel cells.