Sulfur‐Induced Growth of Coordination Polymer Derived‐Straight Carbon Nanotubes on Carbon Nanofiber Network for Zn‐Air Batteries

Journal:Chemistry—A European Journal

Funded by:国家自然科学基金项目

Key Words:Carbon nanofiber; Carbon nanotube; Co9S8; Electrocatalysis; Heteroatom-doped carbon

Abstract:Low‐cost heteroatom‐doped carbon nanomaterials have been widely studied for efficient oxygen reduction reaction and energy storage and conversion in metal‐air batteries. A Masson pine twigs‐like 3‐dimensional network construction of carbon nanofibers (CNFs) with abundant straight long Co, N, and S‐doped carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is developed by thermal treatment of Co‐based polymer coated onto polyacrylonitrile nanofiber network together with thiourea at 900 °C, denoted as CNFT‐Co9S8‐900. It is interesting to note that the introduction of a high concentration of sulfur does not lead to the complete toxicity of catalysts, but promotes the axial growth to selectively form straight CNTs instead of curly bamboo‐like CNTs. The highly graphitized in‐situ grown Co, N, S‐doped CNTs and the 3‐dimensional N‐doped CNF network provide both active catalytic sites and highly conductive paths, which are beneficial for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Thus, the optimal CNFT‐Co9S8‐900 performs the excellent ORR catalytic activity with a half‐wave potential of 0.84 V and a diffusion‐limited current density of 5.49 mA cm−2. Furthermore, the CNFT‐Co9S8‐900‐based Zn‐air devices also possess a high power density of 136.9 mW cm−2 better than commercial Pt/C.

First Author:QJJ

Correspondence Author:苗婷婷,钱金杰

Volume:28

ISSN No.:0947-6539

Translation or Not:no

Date of Publication:2021-03-29