Sonochemical preparation of stable porous MnO2 and its application as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Porous MnO2 as a non-noble metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst was prepared by a simple sonochemical route. The as-prepared porous MnO2 exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity, superior stability and better methanol tolerance than commercial Pt/C catalyst in alkaline media. Furthermore, the ORR proceeded via a nearly four-electron pathway. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating-disk electrode (RDE) measurements verified that the ORR enhancement was attributed to the porous structure and good dispersity, which facilitated sufficient transport of ions, electrons, O2 and other reactants in the process of ORR. The results indicated that a facile and feasible sonochemical route could be used to prepare highly active porous MnO2 electrocatalyst for ORR, which might be promising for direct methanol fuel cells.