Co/CoO/CoFe2O4/G nanocomposites derived from layered double hydroxides towards mass production of efficient Pt-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction.

Development of a simple, reproducible and cost-effective protocol for mass production of non-precious-metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is still challenging but highly desirable for their practical applications in industry. Herein, we developed a facile and scalable method to directly produce graphene (G) supported CoFe-LDHs and successfully used them as a precursor for mass production of Co/CoO/CoFe2O4/G as a low-cost and Pt-free efficient electrocatalyst, which exhibits comparable electrocatalytic activity and much better durability for ORR in comparison with commercial Pt/C catalysts. The result may provide a way for cost-effective production of ORR electrocatalysts on a large scale for practical applications.