Nitrogen-doped carbon-based dots prepared by dehydrating EDTA with hot sulfuric acid and their electrocatalysis for oxygen reduction reaction

Nitrogen-doped carbon-based dots (N-CDs) with good electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction have been prepared by dehydrating ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid with hot and concentrated sulfuric acid. The as-prepared N-CDs are graphite-based nanosheets with an average lateral size of similar to 7 nm and a mean thickness of similar to 1.7 nm. The N-CDs possess abundant oxygen-containing groups and emit blue fluorescence under 365 nm UV light. Furthermore, the as-prepared N-CDs can be well deposited on graphene through a hydrothermal treatment, and show outstanding electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction.