Study on the oxygen reduction performance of nitrogen and chlorine co-doped defect-rich carbon electrocatalysts

A metal-free Cl/N co-doped defect-rich carbon electrocatalyst (MF-ClNC) was synthesized by salt-assisted two-step pyrolysis. Doping and defect sites synergistically modulate the electronic structure and boost the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) process. MF-ClNC exhibits exceptional ORR performance in both alkaline electrolyte (half-wave potential 0.91 V) and natural seawater (0.78 V), exceeding commercial Pt/C and most reported catalysts. Our work highlights the potential of coupling doping and defects in carbon catalysts for electrochemical applications.