Self-template synthesized 2D porous carbon with FeA@Fe-N-C sites as oxygen electrocatalysts for Zn-Air and membraneless methanol fuel cells

The development of low-cost, high-performance, highly stable and methanol-resistant oxygen reduction (ORR) electrocatalysts is vital for zinc-air batteries (ZAB) and membraneless direct methanol fuel cells (ML-DMFC). In this study, 2D porous materials (L-FeA@Fe-NC-1 h) were prepared by consuming self-templates to regulate the active sites of the catalysts in a simple manner. In the L-5%-FeA@Fe-NC-1 h structure, the austenitic Fe (FeA) particles (15 nm) were wrapped by Fe and N co-doped carbon nanosheets. The L-5%-FeA@Fe-NC-1 h material exhibited excellent ORR performance in alkaline electrolytes. The L-5%-FeA@Fe-NC-1 h catalyst exhibited outstanding stability and resistance to methanol. Furthermore, the ZAB with L-5%-FeA@Fe-NC-1 h as the ORR electrocatalyst exhibited outstanding power density and long-term operational stability. The L-5%-FeA@Fe-NC-1 h can be practically applied as a cathode catalyst of ML-DMFC with considerable power density. Therefore, this work provides a simple and reliable control scheme to obtain the optimal catalyst and provides an easy method for the preparation of ORR catalysts with low cost and high quality and stability.