What is the real origin of the high efficiency of N-doped carbons for oxygen reduction?

What is the real origin of the high efficiency of N-doped carbons for oxygen reduction? In the recent special issue of ChemSusChem, Dr Dawei Wang and coworkers investigate and presented a review on oxygen reduction reaction. The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is at the heart of the reactions occurring in fuel cells and metal--air batteries. N-doped carbons are emerging low-cost, and highly-active ORR catalysts. Despite this fact, relatively little is known about the actual reaction mechanism occurring on nitrogen-doped carbon materials. We summarize some of the recent results and shed light on the problems that have to be resolved to successfully design efficient electrocatalysts.

Oxygen reduction

Full article is available from ChemSusChem, 2015, 8(17), 2772-2788

Oxygen reduction cover

Graphical abstract: Oxygen reduction origin