Coordination regulated pyrolysis synthesis of ultrafine FeNi/(FeNi)S nanoclusters/nitrogen, sulfur-codoped graphitic carbon nanosheets as efficient bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts.

Design of advanced carbon nanomaterials with high-efficiency oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities is still imperative yet challenging for searching green and renewable energies. Herein, we synthesized ultrafine FeNi/(FeNi)S nanoclusters encapsulated in nitrogen, sulfur-codoped graphitic carbon nanosheets (FeNi/(FeNi)S/N,S-CNS) by coordination regulated pyrolyzing the mixture of the metal precursors, dithizone and g-CN at 800 °C. The as-prepared FeNi/(FeNi)S/N,S-CNS exhibited distinct electrocatalytic activity and stability for the ORR with positive onset (E) and half-wave (E) potentials (E = 0.97 V; E = 0.86 V) and OER with the small overpotential (η = 283 mV) at 10 mA cm in the alkaline media, outperforming commercial Pt/C and RuO catalysts. This research provides some constructive guidelines for preparing efficient, low-cost and stable nanocatalysts for electrochemical energy devices.