Improving electroactivity of N-doped graphene derivatives with electrical induction heating

Nosan, Miha (author), Pavko, Luka (author), Finšgar, Matjaž (author), Kolar, Mitja (author), Genorio, Boštjan (author)

Graphene derivatives doped with nitrogen have already been identified as active non-noble metal materials for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in PEM and alkaline fuel cells. However, an efficient and scalable method to prepare active, stable, and high-surface-area non-noble metal catalysts remains a challenge. Therefore, an efficient, potentially scalable strategy to improve the specific surface area of N-doped graphene derivatives needs to be developed. Here, we report a novel, rapid, and scalable electrical induction heating method for the preparation of N-doped heat-treated graphene oxide derivatives (N-htGOD) with a high specific surface area. The application of the induction heating method has been shown to shorten the reaction time and improve the energy efficiency of the process. The materials synthesized by induction heating exhibited very high specific surface area and showed improved ORR activity compared to the conventional synthesis method. Moreover, we demonstrated that the temperature program of induction heating could fine-tune the concentration of nitrogen functionalities. In particular, the graphitic-N configuration increases with increasing final temperature, in parallel with the increasing ORR activity. The presented results will contribute to the understanding and development of nonmetal N-htGOD for energy storage and conversion applications.

• Language: English
• Keywords: N-doped graphene nanoribbons, high specific surface area, induction heating, electrocatalysis, oxygen reduction reaction, N-doped graphene, electrolytes, materials, reaction products, redox reactions, two dimensional materials
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FKKT - Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 9571-9580
• Numbering: Vol. 5, iss. 8
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-138938
• UDC: 620.3
• ISSN on article: 2574-0962
• DOI: 10.1021/acsaem.2c01184
• COBISS.SI-ID: 119171587
• Publication date in RUL: 26.08.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: ACS applied energy materials
• Shortened title: ACS app. energy mater.
• Publisher: American Chemical Society
• ISSN: 2574-0962
• COBISS.SI-ID: 39550725

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: z dušikom dopirani nanotrakovi, z dušikom dopiran grafen, visoka specifična površina, elektrokataliza, reakcija redukcije kisika