Heteroatom-doped Nanostructured Carbon Materials as ORR Electrocatalysts for Low-temperature Fuel Cells

This chapter summarizes recent advancements in carbon-based metal-free electrocatalysts, that is, electron-rich or electron-deficient mono-, dual-, or multiheteroatom (nitrogen, boron, phosphorous, sulfur, or halogen)-doped carbon nanostructures, and the correlation between the oxygen reduction reaction activity and the electronic structure of the sp2 carbon materials. Heteroatom-doped carbon materials are attractive in terms of cost and availability and are metal free. They have promising electrocatalytic activity for oxygen reduction reaction (comparable with commercially available noble metal catalysts such as carbon supported on platinum (Pt/C)) with high durability and good carbon monoxide and methanol tolerance. The chapter includes synthesis methods, physical characteristics of carbon nanostructured materials byX-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, electrochemical and durability studies through half-cell mode, and evaluation of heteroatom-doped electrocatalysts through fuel cell tests.