Synthesis of Single-crystal-like Nanoporous Carbon Membranes and Their Applications in Overall Water Splitting

TL;DR

This paper presents a straightforward method to synthesize large, freestanding nanoporous carbon membranes with single-crystal-like graphitic order, which serve as effective electrocatalysts for water splitting when loaded with cobalt nanoparticles.

Contribution

A novel bottom-up synthesis approach for large, freestanding nanoporous carbon membranes with unique structural and compositional features.

Findings

Membranes exhibit single-crystal-like graphitic order.

Loaded membranes show high electrocatalytic activity for water splitting.

Hierarchical pore architecture enhances performance.

Abstract

Nanoporous graphitic carbon membranes with defined chemical composition and pore architecture are novel nanomaterials that are actively pursued. Compared to easy-to-make porous carbon powders that dominate the porous carbon research and applications in energy generation/conversion and environmental remediation, porous carbon membranes are synthetically more challenging though rather appealing from an application perspective due to their structural integrity, interconnectivity and purity. Here we report a simple bottom-up approach to fabricate large-size, freestanding, porous carbon membranes that feature an unusual single-crystal-like graphitic order and hierarchical pore architecture plus favorable nitrogen doping. When loaded with cobalt nanoparticles, such carbon membranes serve as high-performance carbon-based non-noble metal electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.