Cobalt and Nitrogen Codoped Carbon Nanosheets Templated from NaCl as Efficient Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a cathode is an essential component of many electrochemical energy storage and conversion systems. Two-dimensional materials are beneficial for electron conduction and mass transport with high density, showing prominent electrochemical catalytic performance towards the ORR. Herein, a simple NaCl-assisted method to synthesize cobalt–nitrogen-doped carbon materials (CoNC), which present prominent performance towards the ORR in alkaline media, is described. The utilization of the NaCl template endows the product with a large specific surface area of 556.4 m² g⁻¹, as well as good dispersion of cobalt nanoparticles. CoNC-800@NaCl (800 indicates the calcination temperature in °C) displays an excellent onset potential of 0.94 V (vs. a reversible hydrogen electrode), which is close to that of commercial Pt/C. Additionally, CoNC-800@NaCl also exhibits better long-term durability and methanol tolerance than that of Pt/C. The high-performance CoNC-800@NaCl catalyst provides a hopeful alternative to noble-metal catalysts for the ORR in practical applications.