Overall
- Language
- English
- Conflict of Interest
- In relation to this article, we declare that there is no conflict of interest.
- Publication history
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Received January 21, 2025
Revised March 20, 2025
Accepted March 27, 2025
Available online August 25, 2025
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This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync/3.0) which permits
unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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Enhanced Electrochemical Performance Through Morphology‑Controlled Co/N/C Catalysts: A Strategy for Optimized Electrode Architecture
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-025-00453-w
Abstract
This study presents a novel strategy to enhance the performance of carbon-based non-precious metal catalysts (NPMCs)
for electrochemical applications by controlling their electrode architecture through catalyst morphology optimization. The
approach involves the self-assembly of zinc-based zeolitic imidazolate framework nanocrystals using cobalt ions as crosslinkers,
followed by carbonization. This process yields morphology-controlled Co/N/C catalysts with a uniform size (0.5 μm),
well-defined structure, and significantly higher tap density (1.7 ×) compared to irregularly shaped Co/N/C catalysts. Electrodes
fabricated using the morphology-controlled catalysts demonstrated superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance
in gas diffusion electrodes, attributed to reduced electrode thickness and enhanced transport properties. Despite similar
intrinsic kinetic activities, the uniform morphology improved electronic/ionic conductivity and minimized mass transport
losses, resulting in higher catalyst utilization efficiency. These findings highlight the critical role of electrode architecture
in improving the performance of carbon-based catalysts, offering promising implications for energy conversion and storage
systems, such as fuel cells and batteries.
