Production of Porous Carbon Nanoparticles by Using Zinc Layered Benzoate Nanohybrid Precursors and Investigation its Applications as Polymeric Fuel Cell Cathode Catalyst

The α–phase metal hydroxides are layered materials whose structure is similar to that of the better studied layered hydroxides, α-LDHs–LHs and their nanohybrids have been suitable precursors to make undoped and doped nanostructured metal oxides, metal and metal alloys as well as carbon materials and metal oxide carbon composites. In this research with co-precipitation synthesis method, organic/inorganic nanohybrid α–phase layered hydroxide by zinc hydroxide nitrate (Zn5(OH)8(NO3)2) was produced and The initial layered materials were doped with transition metals such as Ni, Co, Fe ions and carbonic resource of nitrobenzoic acid due to contain nitrogen inside own structure added among layers. Then obtained nanohybrids were heat-treated at 600 and 700 °C under an inert atmosphere N2 and resulting in the production of carbon materials and metal oxides. Finally, for remove the obtained metal oxides, acid etching was done. Application of produced carbon materials was investigated as elecrocatalysts in polymeric fuel cell cathode. At all electrodes due to existence of mesoporous carbon and also nitrogenin carbon structure, excellent electron transition and faster oxygen reduction reaction was done.