Theoretical investigations on SiC2 siligraphene as promising metal-free catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

The design and discovery of high-performance metal-free catalytic materials for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysis is vital for the development of fuel cells. By performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we investigate the potential applications of SiC2 siligraphene (g-SiC2) as metal-free ORR catalyst. The g-SiC2 exhibits higher adsorption affinity for the O-2 molecule and other ORR intermediates than the traditional Pt (111), and shows good tolerance against CO poisoning. The detailed LH and ER mechanisms in catalyzing ORR by g-SiC2 are simulated and discussed, both in acidic and alkaline environment. We find that, in alkaline environment, the g-SiC2 presents a very low activation barrier (0.16 eV) for the rate determining step (RDS) and shows no overpotential at the equilibrium potential. Our theoretical simulations validate that the siligraphene with alternatively arranged Si and C atoms holds great potential as ORR catalyst in alkaline environment. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.