Anenvironmentallyfriendlyprecursor,adenosine,hasbeenusedasadualsourceofCandNtosynthesizenitrogen-dopedcarboncatalystwith/withoutFe.Ahydrothermalcarbonizationmethodhasbeenusedandwateristhecarbonizationmedia.Themorphologyofsampleswith/withoutFecomponenthasbeencomparedbyHRTEM,andtheresultshowsthatFecanpromotethegraphitizationofcarbon.Furtherelectro-chemicaltestshowsthattheoxygenreductionreaction(ORR)catalyticactivityofFe-containingsample(C–FeN)ismuchhigherthanthatoftheFe-freesample(C–N).Additionally,theintermediatesofC–FeNformedduringeachsyntheticprocedurehavebeenthoroughlycharacterizedbymultiplemethods,andthefunctionofeachprocedurehasbeendiscussed.TheC–FeNsampleexhibitshighelectro-catalyticstabilityandsuperiorelectro-catalyticactivitytowardORRinalkalinemedia,withitshalf-wavepotential20mVlowerthanthatofcommercialPt/C(40wt%).Itisfurtherincorporatedintoalkalinepolymerelectrolytefuelcell(APEFC)asthecathodematerialandledtoapowerdensityof100mW/cm~2.
