Waste wine mash-derived doped carbon materials as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction.

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a core reaction of fuel cell and metal-air cell. In recent years, it has been a hot topic to study non-precious metal catalysts for ORR. Herein, we have used waste wine mash-derived carbon, melamine and ferric chloride to prepare a Fe- and N- co-doped carbon catalyst. The specific surface area of the catalyst is up to 1066.6 m2 g−1. And its wave potential is 15 mV higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. The ORR on our catalyst followed a four-electron pathway; and it has high stability and high impressive immunity to methanol. After continuous oxygen reduction of 30,000s, the retention rate is 90%. • A N- and Fe-co-doped carbon material is prepared by waste wine mash. • ORR half wave potential of WA-Fe-N is 15 mV higher than that of the commercial 40% Pt/C. • N- and Fe-co-doped and activation treatments improve the electrocatalyst properties. • WA-Fe-N is a new type of low cost ORR catalyst for fuel cell and metal-air cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]