La0.4Ca0.6Mn0.9Fe0.1O3 nanoparticle-dispersed nitrogen-doped porous carbon composite as an efficient oxygen reduction electrocatalyst

Abstract A composite of La0.4Ca0.6Mn0.9Fe0.1O3 (LCMF) nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped porous carbon (NPC) was prepared via a reverse micelle method. The electrocatalytic activity of the resulting LCMF/NPC for oxygen reduction was investigated by rotating disk electrode measurements. The LCMF/NPC exhibited ~40 mV more positive half-wave potential and >2 times higher kinetic current density compared with LCMF/carbon black and NPC, suggesting that a synergistic effect was obtained by combining LCMF with NPC. The novel morphology of the composite, in which small LCMF particles with a mean diameter of 16.4 nm were finely dispersed on NPC, would contribute to the superior activity.