Recent advances in metal-organic frameworks-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) plays a crucial role in green-energy-related technologies including fuel cells and metal-air batteries. The rational design of cost-effective and high-efficiency electrocatalysts is of paramount importance to accelerate the sluggish kinetics of ORR. Recently, owing to the structural flexibility, high porosity, and large surface area, metal-organic frameworks (MOF)-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts have drawn significant attention as competent ORR catalysts. This review systematically summarizes recent progress toward advanced MOF-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts for ORR from the aspects of composition engineering, structural engineering, and the practical application in fuel cells and metal-air batteries, with the emphasis on the synthetic methods and the engineering mechanisms to achieve the enhanced ORR performance. Finally, some existing challenges and future perspectives for MOF-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts are proposed. • Recent advance on MOF-derived carbon-based ORR electrocatalysts is reviewed. • ORR mechanism and design principles of catalysts are discussed. • Composition engineering and structure engineering of MOF-derived carbon-based electrocatalysts are mainly scrutinized. • Facing challenges and future prospects of carbon-based electrocatalysts are addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]