Low temperature formation of porous graphitized carbon for electrocatalysis

The ion-exchange resin is used as a carbon source to prepare porous structured graphitized carbon. The X-ray diffraction, laser micro-Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetry are adopted to characterize the properties of the porous graphitized carbon. The factors affecting the performance of the products, including the concentration of K4[Fe(CN)6] and the heating temperature, are evaluated. The results prove that the porous structured carbon with a suitable degree of graphitization results in improved catalytic activities as an electrocatalyst support, owing to the better electronic conductivity and improved mass transfer behavior. The Pt nanoparticles supported on porous graphitized carbon show improved performance for the oxygen reduction reaction and the methanol oxidation reaction compared with that of a commercial Pt/C electrocatalyst.