title: Structural Origin of the Activity in Mn3O4-Graphene Oxide Hybrid Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.
abstract: Non-precious metal oxide/carbon hybrid electrocatalysts are of increasing importance for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). A synergistic effect is commonly used to explain the superior ORR activity exerted by metal oxide/nanocarbon hybrids, and this effect is attributed to covalently coupled interfaces between the two materials. However, the origin of the high activity, the structure, and the electrocatalytic nature of the interface remain unclear. By combining X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with synchrotron far-infrared spectroscopy, we resolved the interface structure between spinel manganese oxide nanocrystals and graphene oxide nanoribbons, and the role of this interface in the promoted ORR. Moreover, we demonstrated the excellent ORR activity by a functional synergism of the hybrid constituents through a series of comparative electrochemical experiments.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Kuang-Hsu
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Qingcong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Shengyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shengyang, Liaoning, 110016, China.
authors.forename: Bingsen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Leng
authors.affiliation: Shengyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shengyang, Liaoning, 110016, China.
authors.forename: Dang-Sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: Ian R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Gentle
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia. da-wei.wang@unsw.edu.au.|School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia. da-wei.wang@unsw.edu.au.
authors.forename: Da-Wei
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D017895:Manganese Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D017895:Manganese Compounds; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010087:Oxides; C027424:manganese oxide; D006108:Graphite; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: electrocatalysts; graphene; interface structure; metal oxide; oxygen reduction reaction