Polynitrogen (PN) species (Nn, n from 3 to 8) as highly energetic materials have attracted many theoretical calculations and predictions. Some researchers have experimentally observed N3, N4, N5 or their ions in the gas phase at high pressure and high temperature conditions. Here, a N8- polynitrogen stabilized on the positively charged sidewalls of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) has been synthesized for the first time using cyclic voltammetry (CV) at ambient conditions. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) and Raman spectroscopic data assigned on the basis of density functional theory (DFT) calculations support the successful synthesis of a MWNT+N8- solid. Temperature programmed desorption (TPD) data show that MWNT+N8- is thermally stable up to 350oC. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) experiments carried out using MWNT+N8- as the cathodic catalyst shows that it is very active for ORR with an even higher current density than that of a commercial Pt/Carbon (Pt/C) catalyst measured at the same conditions. For a rational design that will maximize the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance, it is critical to understand the underlying catalyst synthesis and ORR mechanism of this novel N8- polynitrogen catalyst materials. Reference: Z. Wu, E. M. Benchafia, Z. Iqbal, X.Q. Wang, N8- polynitrogen stabilized on multi-wall carbon nanotubes for oxygen reduction reactions at ambient conditions, Angew.Chem. Int. Ed. 2014,53, 12555 –125 (Top 5% paper), Aug. 2014

Mechanistic study of N8-MWNTs synthesis and its oxygen reduction reaction activity

251st National Meeting (2016)

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