Facile loading carbon dots on Co3O4 as an enhanced oxygen reduction reaction catalyst

One of the crucial issues in fuel cells is to explore the highly-efficient, long-term stable and low-cost catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Here, the carbon dots/Co 3 O 4 (CDs/Co 3 O 4 ) is reported as an effective electrocatalyst for ORR. The CDs/Co 3 O 4 was synthesized through an in-situ two-step heating strategy with the graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ), cobalt nitrate hexahydrate and organic base as raw materials. The carbon dots (CDs) are derived from the C source of g-C 3 N 4 , which are in situ introduced into the Co 3 O 4 to form the CDs/Co 3 O 4 composite. Consequently, the introduction of CDs endows enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the CDs/Co 3 O 4 composite.