The Effects of a Low-Level Boron, Phosphorus, and Nitrogen Doping on the Oxygen Reduction Activity of Ordered Mesoporous Carbons

Theoretical investigation of the ORR on boron-silicon nanotubes (B-SiNTs) as acceptable catalysts in fuel cells

Here, the potential of boron doped silicon nanotubes (7, 0) as ORR catalysts is examined. Acceptable paths for the ORR on studied catalysts are examined through DFT. The optimum mechanism of the ORR on the surface of B2-SiNT (7, 0) is shown. The ORR on the surface of B2-SiNTs (7, 0) can continue through LH and ER mechanisms. The calculated beginning voltage for the ORR on B2-SiNTs (7, 0) is 0.37 V and it is smaller than the beginning voltage (0.45 V) for platinum-based catalysts. In the acidic solution the beginning voltage for the oxygen reduction process can be evaluated to be 0.97 V, which corresponds to 0.37 V as a minimum overvoltage for the ORR. The B2-SiNTs (7, 0) are suggested as an ORR catalyst in acidic environments.

Investigation of performance of aluminum doped carbon nanotube (8, 0) as adequate catalyst to oxygen reduction reaction

The discovery of novel nano-catalysts to oxygen reduction reaction with high performance due to various application of fuel cells is very important. In present study the potential of aluminum doped carbon nanotube (8, 0) to oxygen reduction reaction in acidic condition was examined through theoretical models. The possible paths to oxygen reduction reaction on Al₂-CNT (8, 0) surfaces were investigated and optimal path was identified from thermodynamic standpoint. Results indicated that the Al₂-CNT (8, 0) catalyzed the oxygen reduction reaction through the Eley-Rideal and Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanisms. The Al₂-CNT (8, 0) catalyst has much better methanol and CO tolerance than platinum-based catalysts. In this study, the overpotential value of oxygen reduction reaction on aluminum doped carbon nanotube (8, 0) surface (ca 0.38 V) is lower than corresponding values on platinum-based catalysts (ca 0.45 V). Finally, results demonstrated that the Al₂-CNT (8, 0) can be proposed as efficiency catalyst to oxygen reduction reaction.

Surface-Group-Oriented, Condensation Cyclization-Driven, Nitrogen-Doping Strategy for the Preparation of a Nitrogen-Species-Tunable, Carbon-Material-Supported Pd Catalyst

A nitrogen-carbon framework with the thickness of several molecules was fabricated through a straightforward nitrogen-doping strategy, in which specially designed surface-oxygen-containing groups (SOGs) first introduced onto the porous carbon support were used to guide the generation of a surface-nitrogen-containing structure through condensation reactions between SOGs and the amidogen group of organic amines under hydrothermal conditions. The results indicate that different kinds of SOGs generate different types and abundances of N species. The CO-releasing groups are apt to form a high proportion of amino groups, whereas the CO2-releasing groups, especially carboxyl and lactones, are mainly transformed into pyrrolic-type nitrogen. In the framework with dominant pyrrolic-type nitrogen, an electron-rich Pd activated site composed of Pd, pyrrolic-type N and C is built, in which electron transfer occurs from N to C and Pd atoms. This activated site contributes to the formation of electron-rich activated hydrogen and desorption of p-chloroaniline, which work together to achieve the superior selectivity about 99.90 % of p-chloroaniline and the excellent reusable performance. This strategy not only provides low-cost, nitrogen-doped carbon materials, but also develops a new method for the fabrication of different kinds of nitrogen species structures.

A DFT study of the interplay between dopants and oxygen functional groups over the graphene basal plane – implications in energy-related applications

The reactivity of the graphene basal plane modified by doping and vacancy formation is investigated in detail using DFT calculations.

A phosphorus–carbon framework over activated carbon supported palladium nanoparticles for the chemoselective hydrogenation of para-chloronitrobenzene

A novel Pd–P–C framework structure was fabricated. Pd with electron-rich properties exhibits superior selectivity up to 99.9% for the hydrogenation of p-CNB to p-CAN.

One-pot synthesis of boron-doped ordered mesoporous carbons as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Boron-doped OMCs with a high doping content of 1.17 wt% show excellent catalytic performance for ORR in alkaline media.