Anchoring Cobalt Nanocrystals through the Plane of Graphene: Highly Integrated Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Due to the high cost of Pt-based materials for electrocatalysis, substitute catalysts composed of nonprecious metals have been in high demand. Herein, an ultrastable electrocatalyst with cobalt nanocrystals grown through the plane of graphene subunits of nitrogen-doped graphenes was synthesized via a one-step route. The catalyst has more positive onset and half-wave potential than Pt/C, high methanol crossover tolerance, and superior stability. It is the introduction of strongly bonded cobalt nanocrystals into the network of graphenes that modulate the electronic properties of the latter, resulting in the superb electrocatalytic performance.