Facile one step synthesis of Cu-g-C₃N₄ electrocatalyst realized oxygen reduction reaction with excellent methanol crossover impact and durability

Non-precious metal doped carbonaceous materials are currently the most promising alternative towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts in terms of cost, accessibility, efficiency and durability. In this work, a simple one-step pyrolysis process was used for the synthesis of copper doped graphitic carbon nitride (Cu-g-C₃N₄) as electrocatalyst. The as-synthesized Cu-g-C₃N₄ material is displaying excellent electrocatalytic response towards ORR in alkaline medium. In comparison to commercial Pt/C catalyst, Cu-g-C₃N₄ exhibits high methanol tolerance, long term stability, without compromising (4e^-) electron transfer pathway process and attaining less than 4% H₂O₂ formation. The enhanced electrocatalytic behaviour may be ascribed to the formation of active sites strongly coupled into the nitrogen-rich carbon matrix. Such a low-cost, extremely durable and stable electrocatalyst can therefore be regarded as an efficient cathodic material, which can be utilized for several renewable energy conversion technologies such as fuel cell, biofuel cell and metal-air battery.