Pyrolyzed carbon supported ferrum polypyrrole (Fe-N/C) catalysts were synthesized with and without the dopant p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH) through a solvent-grinding method followed by heattreatment at the desire temperature. Both the catalysts were characterized using electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry (CV), as well as the rotating disk electrode (RDE) technique. It was found that the catalysts doped with TsOH showed significantly better oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity than the undoped catalysts. The average electron transfer numbers for the catalyzed ORR were 3.899 and 3.098 for the TsOH-doped and undoped catalysts, respectively. Thermal treatment was found to be a necessary step for catalyst activity improvement. The catalyst pyrolyzed at 600°C showed the best ORR activity: the onset potential and the potential at the current density of -1.5 mA • cm -2 for the TsOHdoped catalyst were 30 and 170 mV more positive than those for the un-pyrolyzed TsOH-doped catalyst, respectively. To clarify the effects of TsOH doping and pyrolyzation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to analyze the morphology, 318 XU Li et al.: Electrocatalytic Activity of Fe-N/C-TsOH Catalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline MediaNo.2 structure, and composition of the catalysts. The XPS results suggest that the pyrrolic-N groups are the most active sites and sulfur species are structurally bound to carbon in the form of C-Sn-C and oxidized -SOn-bonds, which is an additional beneficial factor for the ORR.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.