N-doped zeolite-templated carbon as a metal-free electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction

Nitrogen-doped, zeolite-templated carbon was synthesized using aqueous acetonitrile as a nitrogen-containing carbon source, and beta zeolite as a template. The carbon had a three-dimensionally ordered microporous structure with a large surface area, which consisted of sp²-carbon. The nitrogen content was approximately 4 wt%. In the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction, the nitrogen-doped zeolite-templated carbon showed a notably high current density and a positive onset potential as compared to nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide. The surface of this carbon also had a lower work function than that of planar graphene. The high catalytic performance with the low work function of this carbon seems to come from a curved graphene-like framework structure containing nitrogen.