Fine decoration of carbon nanotubes with metal organic frameworks for enhanced performance in supercapacitance and oxygen reduction reaction

• 来源期刊: 科学通报（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2017,（16）
• 页码范围: 1132-1141
• 页数: 10页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Efficient electrode material is crucial for energy conversion from renewable sources such as solar electricity.We present a method for preparation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs,e.g.,ZIF-8) via an in situ pyrolysis process.The resultant materials are completely new carbon composites with desirable hierarchical porosity and nitrogen-doped features.Electron microscopy images show that CNTs with small external diameters enable more uniform dispersion of ZlF-8-derived carbons,subsequently yielding a unique hierarchically porous structure.Such carbon shows superior activity in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and high performance of supercapacitance,making it a valuable metal-free electrode material and a competent alternative to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst.The electrocatalytic performance of CNTs can be dramatically improved by the incorporation of ZIF-8-derived carbons,which is attributed to the combination of good conductivity,abundant accessible dopant species,as well as proper porosity.Our method offers a new avenue for constructing electrocatalysts by effective integration of ZlF-8-derived carbon and the CNTs skeleton.