Self-templated synthesis of novel carbon nanoarchitectures for efficient electrocatalysis

The cost-efficient large-scale production of novel carbon nanostructure with high performance is still a challenge, restricting their applications in catalysis. Herein, we present a low-cost one-pot and one-step approach for the synthesis of both N-doped graphene (NG) and N-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) from self-templated organic nanoplates. By varying the FeCl(3) concentration in the precursor, we can control the formation of graphene or CNTs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example for the controllable synthesis of graphene or CNTs by varying the precursors’ compositions. This provides a simple and cost-effective route for the large-scale production of both NG and NCNTs for applications in catalysis. By example, we show how these unique structured nanocarbons can be applied in electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The obtained NG and NCNTs show excellent ORR activities with long-term stability under alkaline conditions. The unique porous nanostructure, abundant defects, homogeneous N-doping and high N-content in the NG and NCNTs can provide abundant active sites, leading to the excellent ORR performance. This research not only displayed a simple and cost-effective approach for the large-scale production of novel carbon nanoarchitectures, but also revealed the exceptional application potential of these nanocarbons for electrocatalysis.