Cobalt–zinc nitride on nitrogen doped carbon black nanohybrids as a non-noble metal electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Bimetallic nitrides are now being considered as one of the emerging advanced functional materials due to their characteristic features and remarkable physicochemical properties. Herein, we report a new crystalline bimetallic nitride (Co3ZnN) that belongs to the cubic crystal phase, which was successfully synthesized through direct nitridation of metallic salts as precursors. Co3ZnN nanoparticles were then supported on nitrogen-doped XC-72 carbon black (N-CB), and this typical Co3ZnN/N-CB nanohybrid discovered can serve as an efficient non-noble metal electrocatalyst with a 4e− reaction pathway for ORR, and demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance with high activity and stability.