title: A simple synthesis method for nanostructured Co-WC/carbon composites with enhanced oxygen reduction reaction activity.
abstract: Co nanoparticles (Co NPs) and nanoscale tungsten carbide (WC) are successfully synthesized simultaneously with mesoporous structured carbon black (C) using an innovative simple method, which is known as solution plasma processing (SPP), and NPs are also loaded onto carbon black at the same time by SPP. The introduction of Co NPs led to not only superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in terms of onset potential and peak potential, but also to a more efficient electron transfer process compared to that of pure WC. Co-WC/C also showed durability for long-term operation better than that of commercial Pt/C. These results clearly demonstrate that the presence of Co NPs significantly enhanced the ORR and charge transfer number of neighboring WC NPs in ORR activities. In addition, it was proved that SPP is a simple method (from synthesis of NPs and carbon black to loading on carbon black) for the large-scale synthesis of NP-carbon composite. Therefore, SPP holds great potential as a candidate for next-generation synthetic methods for the production of NP-carbon composites.
authors.affiliation: Division of Marine Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University , Busan 606-791 , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University , Nagoya 464-8603 , Japan.
authors.forename: Hye-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Material Science and Engineering, Nagoya University , Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464 8603 , Japan.
authors.forename: Nagahiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Division of Marine Engineering, Korea Maritime and Ocean University , Busan 606-791 , Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Myeong-Hoon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Solution plasma processing; nanoparticle-carbon composite; non-precious metal electrocatalysts; oxygen reduction reaction