Electrospun Carbon Nanofiber Sprinkled with Co ₃ O ₄ as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Alkaline Medium

Abstract

Abstract Design and development of an efficient and earth abundant electrocatalyst for improving the kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is considered as important task especially in renewable energy sector and energy‐intensive appliances. In particular, developing a low cost, environmental benign, robust and stable ORR catalyst still remains a challenging task due to its sluggish kinetics. Here in this work we developed a simple and environmentally green electro‐spinning technique for decoration of cobalt oxides (Co 3 O 4 ) on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers to generate a hybrid nanostructure of carbon nanofiber‐ Co 3 O 4 (CNF‐ Co 3 O 4 ) during calcinations and employed resultant electrocatalyst towards ORR. The CNF provided active surface to seed as well an anchoring spot for nanocrystals and act as a conducting network. The resulting CNF‐Co 3 O 4 hybrid displayed a supeior ORR current density that surpassed bare CNF and occurred via a 4 electron direct reduction pathway. It may due to the as formed heterogeneous interface during the decoration of Co 3 O 4 on CNF leads to enhanced conductivity and thereby decreases ORR overpotential as well as enhanced reaction rate at CNF‐Co 3 O 4 surface.