Nitrogen-doped Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes-MnCo2O4 microsphere as electrocatalyst for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

• N-doped MWCNT composite with MnCo2O4 was prepared by single step hydrothermal method.
• The half-wave potentials of MWCNT-MnCo2O4 is 30 mV higher than MWCNT and 150 mV higher than MnCo2O4 catalyst.
• MWCNT-MnCo2O4 hybrid exhibits an improved ORR activity in an aqueous alkaline medium compared to pristine samples.

Nitrogen-doped Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes (N-doped MWCNT)/MnCo2O4 hybrid is synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The X-ray diffraction studies revealed the single phase formation of cubic spinel structured MnCo2O4 and their composites. The presence of D and G band of MWCNT is identified through Raman spectral analysis. The elemental oxidation state and nitrogen content is obtained using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which elucidates that Co and Mn exists in multivalence state and the nitrogen functional groups are in pyrolytic and pyridinic-type. FE-SEM shows the microsphere formation of MnCo2O4 and size exhibits in the range of 6–9 μm. The N-doped MWCNT/MnCo2O4 hybrid catalyst exhibits an improved oxygen reduction electrocatalytic activity in an aqueous alkaline medium when compared with pristine MnCo2O4.