Isometric Covalent Triazine Framework-Derived Porous Carbons as Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Nana Li; Ruizhi Tang; Yuezeng Su; Chenbao Lu; Ziman Chen; Jie Sun; Yongqin Lv; Sheng Han; Chongqing Yang; Xiaodong Zhuang

doi:10.1002/cssc.202201937

Isometric Covalent Triazine Framework-Derived Porous Carbons as Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

ChemSusChem. 2023 Mar 22;16(6):e202201937. doi: 10.1002/cssc.202201937. Epub 2023 Jan 23.

Authors

Nana Li^{1

2}, Ruizhi Tang¹, Yuezeng Su³, Chenbao Lu¹, Ziman Chen⁴, Jie Sun⁵, Yongqin Lv⁴, Sheng Han^{2

6}, Chongqing Yang¹, Xiaodong Zhuang¹

Affiliations

¹ The Soft 2D Lab, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Metal Matrix Composites, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Thermal Aging, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
² School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi, Xinjiang, 832003, P. R. China.
³ School of Electronic Information and Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, P. R. China.
⁴ National Energy R&D Center for Biorefinery Beijing Key Laboratory of Bioprocess College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 10009, P. R. China.
⁵ Carbon Trade Research Center, School of Finance, Shanghai Lixin University of Accounting and Finance, No. 995 Shangchuan Road, Shanghai, P. R. China.
⁶ School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai, 201418, P. R. China.

PMID: 36522285
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202201937

Abstract

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) and their derivative N-doped carbons have attracted much attention for application in energy conversion and storage. However, previous studies have mainly focused on developing new building blocks and optimizing synthetic conditions. The use of isometric building blocks to control the porous structure and to fundamentally understand structure-property relationships have rarely been reported. In this work, two isometric building blocks are used to produce isometric CTFs with controllable pore geometries. The as-prepared CTF with nonplanar hexagonal rings demonstrates higher surface area, larger pore volume, and richer N content than the planar CTF. After pyrolysis, nonplanar porous CTF-derived N-doped carbons exhibit admirable catalytic activity for oxygen reduction in alkaline media (half-wave potential: 0.86 V; Tafel slope: 65 mV dec^-1 ), owing to their larger pore volume and the abundance of pyridinic and graphitic N species. When assembled into a zinc-air battery, the as-made electrocatalysts show high capacities of up to 651 mAh g^-1 and excellent durability.

Keywords: batteries; carbon; electrocatalysis; oxygen reduction reaction; porous organic polymers.

Abstract

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