Polyelectrolyte functionalized carbon nanotubes as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

Shuangyin Wang; Dingshan Yu; Liming Dai

doi:10.1021/ja1112904

Polyelectrolyte functionalized carbon nanotubes as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction

J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Apr 13;133(14):5182-5. doi: 10.1021/ja1112904. Epub 2011 Mar 17.

Authors

Shuangyin Wang¹, Dingshan Yu, Liming Dai

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemical Engineering, Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, Case School of Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44106, USA.

PMID: 21413707
DOI: 10.1021/ja1112904

Abstract

Having a strong electron-withdrawing ability, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) was used to create net positive charge for carbon atoms in the nanotube carbon plane via intermolecular charge transfer. The resultant PDDA functionalized/adsorbed carbon nanotubes (CNTs), either in an aligned or nonaligned form, were demonstrated to act as metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells with similar performance as Pt catalysts. The adsorption-induced intermolecular charge-transfer should provide a general approach to various carbon-based efficient metal-free ORR catalysts for oxygen reduction in fuel cells, and even new catalytic materials for applications beyond fuel cells.