DOI: 10.1126/science.aad0832 ISSN:
Active sites of nitrogen-doped carbon materials for oxygen reduction reaction clarified using model catalysts
Donghui Guo, Riku Shibuya, Chisato Akiba, Shunsuke Saji, Takahiro Kondo, Junji Nakamura- Multidisciplinary
The right kind of dopant
The oxygen reduction reaction is an important step in fuel cells and other electrochemical processes but is still largely dependent on precious metal-containing catalysts. Recently explored alternatives include carbon materials that are doped with different, preferably non-precious metal, atoms. Guo et al. studied model graphite catalysts to try to understand the role of nitrogen doping and to elucidate the active catalytic sites. A nitrogen atom bound to two carbons formed an active catalyst site with an activity rivaling that of N-doped graphene catalysts.
Science
, this issue p.