Pyridinic-N-Doped Graphene Paper from Perforated Graphene Oxide for Efficient Oxygen Reduction.

ABSTRACT: We report a simple approach to fabricate a pyridinic-N-doped graphene film (N-pGF) without high-temperature heat treatment from perforated graphene oxide (pGO). pGO is produced by a short etching treatment with hydrogen peroxide. GO perforation predominated in a short etching time (?1 h), inducing larger holes and defects compared to pristine GO. The pGO is advantageous to the formation of a pyridinic N-doped graphene because of strong NH3 adsorption on vacancies with oxygen functional groups during the nitrogen-doping process, and the pyridinic-N-doped graphene exhibits good electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Using rotating-disk electrode measurements, we confirm that N-pGF undergoes a four-electron-transfer process during the ORR in alkaline and acidic media by possessing sufficient diffusion pathways and readily available ORR active sites for efficient mass transport. A comparison between Pt/N-pGF and commercial Pt/C shows that Pt/N-pGF has superior performance, based on its more positive onset potential and higher limiting diffusion current at -0.5 V.

SUBMITTER: Bang GS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6641923 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature