Protein-Carbonized Engineering to Construct Three-Dimensional Sponge-like Carbons for Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysis

Abstract

The low specific surface area and insufficient exposure of active sites are usually the key reasons for the poor oxygen reduction reaction of catalysts. Here, we update a new method, using NaCl as a template, egg white as a carbon source and nitrogen source, adding FeCl3 as an iron source, and adopting a two-step pyrolysis method to synthesize a sponge-like porous Fe-N-C catalyst. This kind of three-dimensional sponge-like catalyst exhibits more defective structures, so it shows an excellent electrochemical performance with a half-wave potential of 0.73 V and onset potential of 0.88 V. Additionally, the catalyst has amazing stability, which proves that it is a promising candidate for green energy devices. Our research provides an innovative method to synthesize high-performance Fe-N-C catalysts using low-cost common biomaterials.