Ultrathin and Porous Carbon Nanosheets Supporting Bimetallic Nanoparticles for High-Performance Electrocatalysis

Developing hybrid carbon materials with unique micro/nanostructured and multicomponent features is of great importance in catalysis, energy storage, and energy conversion. Herein, we demonstrate the formation of a novel kind of hybrid carbon material, that is, bimetallic nanoparticles supported by ultrathin (approximate to 5.5nm) and porous carbon nanosheets, by the pyrolysis of preformed bimetallic metal-organic framework nanosheets. This hybrid carbon nanostructure combines the advantages of highly exposed nanoparticles that are readily accessible to the reactant, multiple active sites such as metal-metal and metal-nitrogen sites and ultrathin carbon layers, and highly efficient electron transport. Owing to these unique features, the bimetallic carbon nanosheets exhibit excellent electrocatalytic performance for the oxygen reduction reaction.