Extending conducting channels in Fe–N-C by interfacial growth of CNTs with minimal metal loss for efficient ORR electrocatalysis

Achieving a high electrocatalytic performance using a completely metal-free electrocatalyst, preferably based on only carbonaceous materials, remains a challenge. Alternatively, an efficient composite of a carbon nanostructure and a non-noble metal with minimum dependence on a metal holds immense potential. Although single-atom catalysis brings superior performance, its complex synthetic strategy limits its large-scale implementation. Previous investigation has shown that atomic dispersion (Fe-N_x-C) is accompanied by higher metal-loss compared to nanoparticle formation (Fe-NPs-N-C). Therefore, to achieve minimum metal loss, we first incorporated iron nanoparticles (Fe NPs) to N-doped carbon (N-C) and then exposed them to a cheap carbon source, melamine at high temperature, resulting in the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) catalysed by those Fe NPs loaded on N-C (Fe-NPs-N-C). Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the metal-retention in the composite is higher than that in the bare carbon nanotube and even the atomically dispersed Fe-active sites on N-C. The composite material (Fe-NPs-N-C/CNT) shows a high half-wave potential (0.89 V vs. RHE) which is superior to that of commercial Pt/C towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The enhanced activity is attributed to the synergistic effect of high conductivity of CNTs and active Fe-sites as the composite exceeds the individual electrocatalytic performance shown by Fe-CNTs & Fe-NPs-N-C, and even that of atomically dispersed Fe-active sites on N-C.