Central composite design as a tool to investigate the electrocatalytic activity of thermally treated nitrogen-doped graphene for the oxygen reduction reaction
Raquel A. C. Lima, Aluísio J. C. Pinto Júnior, Leandro A. Pocrifka, Ermete Antolini, Raimundo R. Passos
{"title":"Central composite design as a tool to investigate the electrocatalytic activity of thermally treated nitrogen-doped graphene for the oxygen reduction reaction","authors":"Raquel A. C. Lima, Aluísio J. C. Pinto Júnior, Leandro A. Pocrifka, Ermete Antolini, Raimundo R. Passos","doi":"10.1007/s10008-024-06022-1","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Nitrogen-doped graphene (N-graphene) electrocatalysts prepared using a thermal treatment procedure were systematically investigated for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). A central composite experimental design (CCD) was adopted to evaluate the effect of the thermal treatment temperature (from 660 to 940 °C) and mass ratio of graphene and urea precursors (from 1:3 to 1:17) on the electron transfer number (<i>n</i>) of the ORR in alkaline medium. No interaction effect was observed between the two factors, and only temperature had a positive and statistically-significant effect on the <i>n</i> value. XPS results indicated that the improvement of the electrocatalytic activity of N-graphene with the increase of doping temperature cannot be associated with the N configuration or the overall N content, but is related to the formation of defects on graphene. This investigation represents an important step in the adoption of multivariate experimentation for the exploration of metal-free electrocatalysts for fuel cell cathodes.</p>","PeriodicalId":665,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry","volume":"40 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry","FirstCategoryId":"5","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10008-024-06022-1","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"化学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ELECTROCHEMISTRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Nitrogen-doped graphene (N-graphene) electrocatalysts prepared using a thermal treatment procedure were systematically investigated for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). A central composite experimental design (CCD) was adopted to evaluate the effect of the thermal treatment temperature (from 660 to 940 °C) and mass ratio of graphene and urea precursors (from 1:3 to 1:17) on the electron transfer number (n) of the ORR in alkaline medium. No interaction effect was observed between the two factors, and only temperature had a positive and statistically-significant effect on the n value. XPS results indicated that the improvement of the electrocatalytic activity of N-graphene with the increase of doping temperature cannot be associated with the N configuration or the overall N content, but is related to the formation of defects on graphene. This investigation represents an important step in the adoption of multivariate experimentation for the exploration of metal-free electrocatalysts for fuel cell cathodes.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry is devoted to all aspects of solid-state chemistry and solid-state physics in electrochemistry.
The Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry publishes papers on all aspects of electrochemistry of solid compounds, including experimental and theoretical, basic and applied work. It equally publishes papers on the thermodynamics and kinetics of electrochemical reactions if at least one actively participating phase is solid. Also of interest are articles on the transport of ions and electrons in solids whenever these processes are relevant to electrochemical reactions and on the use of solid-state electrochemical reactions in the analysis of solids and their surfaces.
The journal covers solid-state electrochemistry and focusses on the following fields: mechanisms of solid-state electrochemical reactions, semiconductor electrochemistry, electrochemical batteries, accumulators and fuel cells, electrochemical mineral leaching, galvanic metal plating, electrochemical potential memory devices, solid-state electrochemical sensors, ion and electron transport in solid materials and polymers, electrocatalysis, photoelectrochemistry, corrosion of solid materials, solid-state electroanalysis, electrochemical machining of materials, electrochromism and electrochromic devices, new electrochemical solid-state synthesis.
The Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry makes the professional in research and industry aware of this swift progress and its importance for future developments and success in the above-mentioned fields.