Oxygen-doped carbonaceous polypyrrole nanotubes-supported Ag nanoparticle as electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline solution

Developing low-cost and high-performance non-precious metal oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for fuel cells is highly desirable but still full of challenges. In this work, oxygen-doped carbonaceous polypyrrole nanotubes (OCPN) are synthesized by a KOH-activated assisted method and Ag nanoparticles are grown in situ on OCPN. The resultant Ag/OCPN catalysts possess comparable excellent activity with commercial Pt/C (onset potential is - 0.003 V vs. SCE) in alkaline solution, which is ascribed to the synergistic effect of Ag nanoparticles and the unique properties of OCPN. The best ORR property of Ag/OCPN demonstrated that the oxygen in the catalyst can facilitate the ORR. Moreover, superior stability and methanol tolerance deserve to be mentioned.