Nitrogen-doped porous carbon nanosheets derived from furfural residue as an oxygen reduction catalyst

The complex pore structure of porous carbon plays a pivotal role in determining the catalytic activity of catalysts involved in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and template methods have emerged as the gold standard in the fabrication of porous carbon. This study describes the preparation of a series of carbon materials that use furfural residue and urea as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, in conjunction with KOH as an activating agent through a template method. The prepared catalysts have a large specific surface area and an abundance of micro/mesoporous structures, both of which facilitate ion transport and promote active site exposure. Notably, the sample with a carbon-to-nitrogen mass ratio of 1:4 (FR/C-4) exhibits an exceptionally high specific surface area (2190 m2 g- 1) along with an impressive array of pore structures. Compared with commercial Pt/C, FR/C-4 demonstrates superior ORR catalytic activity with a half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.88 V. Furthermore, FR/C-4 demonstrates remarkable stability and methanol tolerance in alkaline electrolytes, indicating its potential for a wide range of applications, such as fuel cells and metal-air batteries.