A Facile Strategy to Boost the Active Sites of Fe–N–C Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

A highly active Fe/N doped porous carbon electrocatalyst is constructed benefiting from the elaborate employment of benzimidazole (BIm) as nitrogen precursor. Compared with 2-methylimidazole (2-MIm), BIm can strongly capture Fe ions and strengthen the Fe–N bond, thus more Fe–N4 active sites form in the electrocatalyst with an enhanced catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction. The optimal sample exhibits a half-wave potential of 0.80 V vs RHE in acidic media.