Carboxylated, Fe-filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes as versatile catalysts for O2 reduction and H2 evolution reactions at physiological pH

M Victoria Bracamonte; Michele Melchionna; Antoine Stopin; Angela Giulani; Claudio Tavagnacco; Yann Garcia; Paolo Fornasiero; Davide Bonifazi; Maurizio Prato

doi:10.1002/chem.201501144

Carboxylated, Fe-filled multiwalled carbon nanotubes as versatile catalysts for O2 reduction and H2 evolution reactions at physiological pH

Chemistry. 2015 Sep 1;21(36):12769-77. doi: 10.1002/chem.201501144. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

Authors

M Victoria Bracamonte^{1

2}, Michele Melchionna³, Antoine Stopin⁴, Angela Giulani¹, Claudio Tavagnacco¹, Yann Garcia⁵, Paolo Fornasiero^{6

7}, Davide Bonifazi^{1

4}, Maurizio Prato¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste (Italy).
² Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (CONICET) and FaMAF, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Medina Allende s/n, X5000HUA Córdoba (Argentina).
³ Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste (Italy). melchionnam@units.it.
⁴ Namur Research College (NARC) and Department of Chemistry, University of Namur (UNamur), Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur (Belgium).
⁵ Institute of Condensed Matter and Nanosciences, Molecules, Solids and Reactivity (IMCN/MOST), Université Catholique de Louvain, Place L. Pasteur 1, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348 (Belgium).
⁶ Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and INSTM UdR Trieste, University of Trieste, Via L. Giorgieri 1, 34127 Trieste (Italy). pfornasiero@units.it.
⁷ ICCOM-CNR Trieste Research Unit, Trieste (Italy). pfornasiero@units.it.

PMID: 26179742
DOI: 10.1002/chem.201501144

Abstract

The development of new electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at physiological pH is critical for several fields, including fuel cells and biological applications. Herein, the assembly of an electrode based on carboxyl-functionalised hydrophilic multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled with Fe phases and their excellent performance as electrocatalysts for ORR and HER at physiological pH are reported. The encapsulated Fe dramatically enhances the catalytic activity, and the graphitic shells play a double role of efficiently mediating the electron transfer to O2 and H2 O reactants and providing a cocoon that prevents uncontrolled Fe oxidation or leaching.

Keywords: electrochemistry; hydrogen evolution reaction; iron; nanotubes; oxygen reduction reaction.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't