Electrocatalytic activity of non-precious metal catalyst Co–N/C toward oxygen reduction reaction

Metallic cobalt was deposited on acetylene black to synthesize a composite Co/C by chemical reduction method. A platinum-free electrocatalyst Co–N/C(8 0 0) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was synthesized by mixing the composite Co/C with urea and heat-treating at 800 °C. The results from linear sweep voltammograms indicated that the Co–N/C(8 0 0) is active to ORR. The β-Co and cobalt oxides are not the active site of the catalyst Co–N/C. However, the existence of cobalt facilitated the modification of nitrogen to carbon black and led to the formation of active site of catalyst Co–N/C(8 0 0).