title: Insight into the origin of the positive effects of imidazolium salt on electrocatalytic activity: ionic carbon nanotubes as metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction.
abstract: We report remarkable metal-free electrocatalytic activities of the imidazolium salt-functionalized ionic multi-walled carbon nanotubes (IM-f-MWCNTs) in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The electrocatalytic activity can be attributed to the induced polarization of the π-electrons of CNTs, thus accelerating interfacial electron transfer. The zwitterionic MWCNTs functionalized with poly(vinylimidazolium sulfonate) have a more positive surface charge and exhibit a better electrocatalytic activity than the poly(vinylbutylimidazolium chloride)-functionalized MWCNTs. The IM-f-MWCNTs showed better fuel selectivity than the commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Nano Science (BK21), Ewha Womans University, 120-750 Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Youn Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ju Yeon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hyun Ji
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Areum
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cha
authors.forename: Chongmok
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sang-gi
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Lee