Sulfur and nitrogen co-doped rGO sheets as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline medium

There are a lot of efforts to develop metal-free electrocatalyst based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) doped with sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) due to promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance for the development of sustainable energy systems. This work reports the ORR performance of S, N co-doped rGO prepared by mechanically grinding of graphene oxide(GO) and thiourea followed by pyrolysis. The structural and morphological properties of the samples treated at different temperature were studied using X-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The samples were further analyzed using FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and BET techniques. The electrochemical investigation of SN-rGO-900 catalyst (S, N co-doped rGO heat treated at 900 degrees C) revealed a significant ORR activity with a calculated electron transfer number around 3.8 and an onset potential (Eonset) of 0.85 V (vs. RHE) under alkaline conditions.

Automated summary

Efforts to develop metal-free electrocatalysts based on sulfur and nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in sustainable energy systems are ongoing. This study reports the ORR performance of mechanically ground and pyrolyzed S, N co-doped rGO, showing significant activity with a calculated electron transfer number of 3.8 and onset potential of 0.85 V under alkaline conditions.