Microporous Organic Polymers Derived Microporous Carbon Supported Pd Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction: Impact of Framework and Heteroatom

The usage of noble metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) can be minimized by supporting them on porous carbon. Herein, a simple and industrially scalable approach for preparation of porous carbon supports is developed by directly pyrolyzing microporous organic polymers (MOPs). The rigid aromatic building blocks in MOPs function as self-templates to retain the high surface area and regular pore distribution during carbonization to the formation of high quality microporous carbon framework. The electrochemical performance of Pd catalysts supporting on MOPs-derived carbons is evaluated and compared with commercial products, indicating the superiority of MOPs as carbon precursor. Significant difference in ORR activity is observed among three types of MOPs due to the impact of framework and heteroatom. The highest performance of Pd/CKN catalyst is attributed to heteroatom-induced altering of electronic structures besides the stable skeleton.