ORR activity of metalated phenanthroline-strapped porphyrin adsorbed on carbon nanotubes

Abstract

Developing efficient noble metal-free systems for electrocatalysis and the reduction of oxygen (ORR) is crucial for hydrogen economy. Bioinspired hybrids combining iron or copper/iron porphyrins with multiwalled carbon nanotubes were tested for ORR using a rotating ring-disk electrode at pH 13 to 8. The porphyrin-nanotube hybrids exhibited better electrocatalytic properties than their constituents alone due to the electrical network formed by the nanotubes, and they reduced oxygen via a four-electron pathway to produce water. Whereas the presence of Cu was not mandatory to reduce oxygen, its presence improved ORR activity and decreased the overpotential compared to monometalic (iron porphyrin) hybrids.

Keywords

• Porphyrin
• Carbon nanotubes
• Oxygen reduction
• Electrocatalysis
• Energy