Non-noble metal-carbonized Nitrogen-doped aerogel composites as electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction

Nitrogen doped melamine-resorcinol-formaldehyde (MR) aerogels were prepared by sol-gel method using melamine, resorcinol and formaldehyde as raw materials. Co and Fe-based non-noble metal catalysts supported on carbon aerogels were synthesized through impregnation method followed by MR aerogels carbonization at 800 °C in N₂. The catalysts have been tested using XPS, XRD, BET and RDE techniques. The average pore size of the catalysts are 8.9 nm (Fe-MR) and 16.3 nm (Co-MR), and the pore volume are 1.05 cm³/g (Fe-MR) and 2.22 cm³/g (Co-MR) respectively. The electrochemical properties of the synthesized catalysts in O₂-saturated 0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ solution are evaluated by a rotating disc electrode (RDE) technique, and the catalysts showed a good electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction(ORR).