Graphitic carbon nitrides supported by nitrogen-doped graphene as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

Owing to its low cost and rich nitrogen content, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) is promising metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, the electrocatalytic performance of carbon nitride is limited by its low conductivity. In order to circumference this limitation, we incorporated g-C3N4 with nitrogen-doped graphene (N-G) by ball-milling g-C3N4 and N-G to produce g-C3N4@N-G of an ORR catalytic activity comparable to the commercial Pt/C catalyst, along with a better long-term stability and more tolerance to the methanol crossover effect. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.