Developing highly efficient and stable non-Pt electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) to replace the state-of-the-art noble metal is essential for commercialization of fuel cells. Fe-N-C-based electrocatalysts are considered as a promising alternative to commercial Pt/C. An efficient electrocatalyst commonly requires large density of active site, high surface area, and desirable porosity, especially multimodal porosity with both large pores for efficient mass transfer and small pores for exposing as many active sites as possible. Herein, a lamellar metal organic framework (MOF) was developed as a precursor to directly achieve such a highly active Fe-N-C electrocatalyst with high surface area and desirable bimodal porosity. The mesopores arising from the special lamellar morphology of MOF benefits efficient mass transfer, and the nanopores resulting from pyrolysis of the MOF makes the majority of active sites accessible to electrolyte and thus effective for ORR. Uniform distribution of active elements N, C, and Fe at the molecular level in MOF precursor ensures abundant well-dispersed highly active sites in the catalyst. As a result, the catalyst exhibited superior ORR electrocatalytic activity and stability to commercial Pt/C. This strategy, using rarely reported lamellar MOF to prepare ORR catalysts with the merits mentioned, could inspire the exploration of a wide range of electrocatalysts from lamellar MOF precursors for various applications.
Keywords: electrocatalysis; fuel cells; metal organic frameworks; nanostructures; oxygen reduction reaction.