Magnetic Field Enhanced 4-electron Pathway of the Well-aligned Co3O4/ECNFs in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
- UNCG Author/Contributor (non-UNCG co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)
- Jianjun Wei, Associate Professor (Creator)
- Institution
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG )
- Web Site: http://library.uncg.edu/
Abstract: The sluggish reaction kinetics of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has been the limiting factor for fuel energy utilization, hence it is desirable to develop high-performance electrocatalysts for a 4-electron pathway ORR. A constant low-current (50 µA) electrodeposition technique is used to realize the formation of a uniform Co3O4 film on well-aligned electrospun carbon nanofibers (ECNFs) with a time-dependent growth mechanism. This material also exhibits a new finding of mT magnetic field-induced enhancement of the electron exchange number of the ORR at a glassy carbon electrode modified with the Co3O4/ECNFs catalyst. The magnetic susceptibility of the unpaired electrons in Co3O4 improves the kinetics and efficiency of electron transfer reactions in the ORR, which shows a 3.92-electron pathway in the presence of a 1.32 mT magnetic field. This research presents a potential revolution of traditional electrocatalysis by simply applying an external magnetic field on metal oxides as a replacement for noble metals to reduce the risk of fuel-cell degradation and maximize the energy output.
Magnetic Field Enhanced 4-electron Pathway of the Well-aligned Co3O4/ECNFs in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction
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Created on 6/10/2020
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Additional Information
- Publication
- ChemSusChem. 2018 11 (3), 580-588
- Language: English
- Date: 2018
- Keywords
- cobalt, electrocatalysis, carbon nanofibers, electron transfer, magnetic field