α-Fe2O3/alkalinized C3N4 heterostructure as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

A nanocomposite of alpha-Fe2O3/alkalinized C3N4 (alpha-Fe2O3/A-C3N4) electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was synthesized by a simple in situ electrostatic adsorption of A-C3N4 and iron-based ionic liquid [Omim]FeCl4 complexation reaction using sonication treatment followed by pyrolysis process. The as-prepared alpha-Fe2O3/A-C3N4 nanocomposite can act as a superior electrocatalyst for ORR in terms of excellent ORR activity with onset potential of 0.82 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrodes (RHE), current density of 5.2 mA cm(-2) and outstanding methanol resistance. This cost-effective starting materials and simple preparation method paves the way to large-scale fabrication of low-cost and highly active noble metal-free electrocatalyst and promotes their practical applications in electrochemical power conversion and storage system. [GRAPHICS] .