Supramolecular gel-assisted synthesis of double shelled Co@CoO@N–C/C nanoparticles with synergistic electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction

Investigating active, stable, and low-cost materials for the oxygen reduction reaction is one of the key challenges in fuel-cell research. In this work, we describe the formation of N-doped carbon shell coated Co@CoO nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon materials (Co@CoO@N–C/C) based on a simple supramolecular gel-assisted method. The double-shelled Co@CoO@N–C/C core–shell nanoparticles exhibit superior electrocatalytic activities for the oxygen reduction reaction compared to N-doped carbon and cobalt oxides, demonstrating the synergistic effect of the hybrid nanomaterials. Notably, the Co@CoO@N–C/C nanoparticles give rise to a comparable four-electron selectivity, long-term stability, and high methanol tolerance; all show a multi-fold improvement over the commercial Pt/C catalyst. The progress is of great importance in exploring advanced non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for fuel cell applications.