Napkin Paper Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Sheets: A High-Performance Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract

Developing high-performance oxygen reduction electrocatalysts are crucial in fuel cells. Here, we report the novel nitrogen-doped carbon sheets as an effective electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) derived from napkin paper by thermal annealing in an NH3 atmosphere. The obtained typical sample (N-CS-1000) shows decent ORR activity in alkaline and acidic media due to the synergetic enhancement effect resulted from its nitrogen doping, high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area (up to 1839 m2 g−1), unique carbon sheets with many folds and nanoporous structure. This work provides a valuable inspiration for using resource-rich napkin paper as raw material to synthesize relevant functional carbon materials with other practical applications, such as lithium-ion battery, gas sensor and supercapacitor.