Properties of Nitrogen-Functionalized Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Prepared Using Polypyrrole Precursor

Mustain E William, University of South Carolina - Columbia

© Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 2010, Electrochemical Society.

William E, Mustain (2010). Properties of Nitrogen-Functionalized Ordered Mesoporous Carbon Prepared Using Polypyrrole Precursor. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 157(11), B1665-B1672.

https://dx.doi.org/10.1149/1.3489412

Abstract

Nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous carbon was synthesized using SBA-15 as the template and polypyrrole as the nitrogen-containing carbon precursor. Transmission electron microscopy and Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller adsorption revealed a honeycomb-like ordered mesoporous structure with an average pore diameter of 3.3 nm with a narrow distribution. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that pyridinic and quaternary nitrogen functionalities were the dominant nitrogen surface functional groups. A high percentage of nitrogen was retained in the carbon surface . The prepared nitrogen-functionalized support had a specific double layer capacitance of 182.5 F/g. Also, its intrinsic oxygen reduction activity was better than that of Vulcan XC-72R. Accelerated degradation test showed that nitrogen-functionalized carbon was highly resistant to electrochemical corrosion.