title: Graphene Oxide Sheathed ZIF-8 Microcrystals: Engineered Precursors of Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) Electrocatalysis.
abstract: Nitrogen containing mesoporous carbon obtained by the pyrolysis of graphene oxide (GO) wrapped ZIF-8 (Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks-8) micro crystals is demonstrated to be an efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). ZIF-8 synthesis in the presence of GO sheets helped to realize layers of graphene oxide over ZIF-8 microcrystals and the sphere-like structures thus obtained, on heat treatment, transformed to highly porous carbon with a nitrogen content of about 6.12% and surface area of 502 m2/g. These catalysts with a typical micromeso porous architecture exhibited an onset potential of 0.88Vvs RHE in a four electron pathway and also demonstrated superior durability in alkaline medium compared to that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The N-doped porous carbon derived from GO sheathed ZIF-8 core-shell structures could therefore be employed as an efficient electrocatalyst for fuel cell applications.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD), National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-NIIST) , Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695019, India.|Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research , Delhi-Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 025, India.
authors.forename: Minju
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory , Pune, Maharashtra411008, India.
authors.forename: Rajith
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Illathvalappil
authors.affiliation: Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research , Delhi-Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 025, India.|Physical and Materials Chemistry Division, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory , Pune, Maharashtra411008, India.
authors.forename: Sreekumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurungot
authors.affiliation: R&D Centre, Noritake Company, Ltd. , 300 Higashiyama, Miyoshi, Aichi 470-0293, Japan.|Nanochemistry Research Institute, Department of Chemistry, Curtin University , GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia 6845, Australia.
authors.forename: Balagopal N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Nair
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD), National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-NIIST) , Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695019, India.
authors.forename: Abdul Azeez Peer
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Mohamed
authors.affiliation: R&D Centre, Noritake Company, Ltd. , 300 Higashiyama, Miyoshi, Aichi 470-0293, Japan.
authors.forename: Gopinathan M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Anilkumar
authors.affiliation: Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology , Nagatsuta 4259, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Materials Science and Technology Division (MSTD), National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-NIIST) , Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala 695019, India.|Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research , Delhi-Mathura Road, New Delhi 110 025, India.
authors.forename: U S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Hareesh
keywords: N-doped carbon; ZIF-8; alkaline fuel cell; graphene oxide; oxygen reduction reaction; porous carbon