Biopolymer-Inspired N-Doped Nanocarbon Using Carbonized Polydopamine: A High-Performance Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen-Evolution Reaction

Polymers

Uk Sim¹  JungKyu Kim²  DuongNguyen Nguyen² 

[1] Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Engineering Research Center and Optoelectronics Convergence Research Center, College of Engineering and College of AI Convergence, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea;School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon 16419, Korea;

关键词: polydopamine;    PDA;    carbon nanosheet;    nitrogen-doped carbon;    electrocatalysts;    hydrogen-evolution reaction;   

DOI  :  10.3390/polym12040912

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) is a promising technology for renewable energy conversion and storage. Electrochemical HER can provide a cost-effective method for the clean production of hydrogen. In this study, a biomimetic eco-friendly approach to fabricate nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets, exhibiting a high HER performance, and using a carbonized polydopamine (C-PDA), is described. As a biopolymer, polydopamine (PDA) exhibits high biocompatibility and can be easily obtained by an environmentally benign green synthesis with dopamine. Inspired by the polymerization of dopamine, we have devised the facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped nanocarbons using a carbonized polydopamine for the HER in acidic media. The N-doped nanocarbons exhibit excellent performance for H₂ generation. The required overpotential at 5 mA/cm² is 130 mV, and the Tafel slope is 45 mV/decade. Experimental characterizations confirm that the excellent performance of the N-doped nanocarbons can be attributed to the multisite nitrogen doping, while theoretical computations indicate the promotion effect of tertiary/aromatic nitrogen doping in enhancing the spin density of the doped samples and consequently in forming highly electroactive sites for HER applications.

【 授权许可】

Unknown