Tailored design of 2D MOF derived carbon boosting the low temperature plasma catalysis for water treatment: The role of graphitization and hierarchical porous structure

Efficient, durable and inexpensive electrocatalysts that accelerate sluggish oxygen reduction reaction kinetics and achieve high-performance are highly desirable. Here we develop a strategy to fabricate a catalyst comprised of single iron atomic sites supported on a nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur co-doped hollow carbon polyhedron from a metal-organic framework@polymer composite. The polymer-based coating facilitates the construction of a hollow structure via the Kirkendall effect and electronic modulation of an active metal center by long-range interaction with sulfur and phosphorus. Benefiting from structure functionalities and electronic control of a single-atom iron active center, the catalyst shows a remarkable performance with enhanced kinetics and activity for oxygen reduction in both alkaline and acid media. Moreover, the catalyst shows promise for substitution of expensive platinum to drive the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction in zinc-air batteries and hydrogen-air fuel cells.

ZIF-8 as a promising storage material was investigated at high pressures up to ~39 GPa by in situ FTIR spectroscopy for the first time. Structural modifications are found to be reversible in a low-pressure region but irreversible in a high-pressure region. Overall, the ZIF-8 framework exhibits an unusual chemical stability even under extreme compression.