The invention discloses preparation and application of a
cobalt and
nitrogen co-doped
porous carbon microsphere material. The
cobalt and
nitrogen co-doped
porous carbon microsphere material disclosed by the invention is used for the cathodic
oxygen reduction reaction
electrocatalyst of a fuel
cell.
Sodium alginate,
cobalt-
nitrate hexahydrate and 2-methylimidazole are used as the raw materials of the cobalt and
nitrogen co-doped
porous carbon microsphere material. The preparation method comprises the steps of: preparing
hydrogel microspheres from
sodium alginate solution through an electronic injection method, taking cobalt
nitrate solution as receiving solution, dipping the microspheres for 12 h, so that sufficient
ion exchange of
cobalt ions and
sodium ions is carried out, freezing and
drying after respectively washing by using absolute ethyl
alcohol and deionized water for two times, then, putting the microspheres in 2-methylimidazole
methanol solution to perform room-temperature reaction for 12 h, then, respectively washing by using absolute ethyl
alcohol and deionized water for several times, freezing and
drying, and carbonizing through a
tube furnace to obtain the cobalt and nitrogen co-doped porous carbon microsphere material. Preparation in the invention is simple in process, green and environment-friendly; and furthermore, the prepared carbon microsphere material has good electro-catalytic property, and has important value and meanings in the field of
heteroatom doped carbon-based
oxygen reduction electrocatalysts.