Nitrogen-Rich Precursors Assisted Synthesis Of Metal-Organic Framework-Derived Nanostructures As Bifunctional Catalysts For Electrochemical Sensing And Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Exploring the structure and composition of catalysts to realize fast electron transfer in electrochemical reaction is a challenging part for the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts. Herein, nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube with encapsulated cobalt nanoparticles is synthesized via co-pyrolysis of zeolitic imidazolate framework and assisted nitrogen/carbon precursors with high N/C ratio. These precursor-dependent materials are served as catalysts for determination of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Electrochemical measurement results suggest a strong relationship between N-doped types and electrochemical performance. The as-proposed ZU catalyst (urea as N-rich precursor) exhibits optimal electrocatalytic performance towards ORR and H2O2 detection. Furthermore, ZU also can be a potential cathode candidate for direct borohydride fuel cell (DBFC).The synthesis strategy offers a new clue in constructing effective non-noble-metal catalysts for electrochemical applications.