MnxOy/NC and CoxOy/NC Nanoparticles Embedded in a Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Matrix for High‐Performance Bifunctional Oxygen Electrodes

Abstract

Reversible interconversion of water into H₂ and O₂, and the recombination of H₂ and O₂ to H₂O thereby harnessing the energy of the reaction provides a completely green cycle for sustainable energy conversion and storage. The realization of this goal is however hampered by the lack of efficient catalysts for water splitting and oxygen reduction. We report exceptionally active bifunctional catalysts for oxygen electrodes comprising Mn₃O₄ and Co₃O₄ nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon, obtained by selective pyrolysis and subsequent mild calcination of manganese and cobalt N₄ macrocyclic complexes. Intimate interaction was observed between the metals and nitrogen suggesting residual M–N_x coordination in the catalysts. The catalysts afford remarkably lower reversible overpotentials in KOH (0.1 M) than those for RuO₂, IrO₂, Pt, NiO, Mn₃O₄, and Co₃O₄, thus placing them among the best non-precious-metal catalysts for reversible oxygen electrodes reported to date.