Boron- and nitrogen-substituted graphene nanoribbons as efficient catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction

We show that nanoribbons of boron- and nitrogen-substituted graphene can be used as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Optimally doped graphene nanoribbons made into three-dimensional porous constructs exhibit the highest onset and half-wave potentials among the reported metal-free catalysts for this reaction and show superior performance compared to commercial Pt/C catalyst. Furthermore, this catalyst possesses high kinetic current density and four-electron transfer pathway with low hydrogen peroxide yield during the reaction. First-principles calculations suggest that such excellent electrocatalytic properties originate from the abundant edges of boron- and nitrogen-codoped graphene nanoribbons, which significantly reduce the energy barriers of the rate-determining steps of the ORR reaction.