Single-crystalline mesoporous Mo2N nanobelts with an enhanced electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction

• Mesoporous molybdenum nitride nanobelts were prepared by topotactic reaction.
• The molybdenum nitride nanobelts showed a mesoporous structure.
• The molybdenum nitride nanobelts exhibited an improved electrocatalytic activity.

We demonstrate mesoporous molybdenum nitride nanobelts as a cathode catalyst synthesized by a topotactic reaction process. The molybdenum nitride nanobelts exhibit a single-crystalline face-centered cubic Mo2N. Moreover, the molybdenum nitride nanobelts exhibit a mesoporous structure with ~4.3 nm as an average pore size and ~41.9 m2 g−1 as a specific surface area. The improved electrocatalytic activity of mesoporous molybdenum nitride nanobelts toward oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline solution might be mainly attributed to high specific surface area and mesoporous structure.