First-principles calculation of the electronic properties of graphene clusters doped with nitrogen and boron; Analysis of catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction

Huang, S.-F.*; Terakura, Kiyoyuki*; Ozaki, Taisuke*; Ikeda, Takashi; Boero, M.*; Oshima, Masaharu*; Ozaki, Junichi*; Miyata, Seizo*

Recent studies suggest that the carbon-alloy catalyst with doped nitrogen may be a powerful candidate for cathode catalyst of fuel cell. In this paper, we aim to clarify the microscopic mechanisms of the enhancement in the catalyst activity caused by nitrogen doping using a simple graphene cluster model. We analyze modifications in the electronic structures and the energetical stability for some different configurations of N doping. We extend the analysis to the case of co-doping of nitrogen and boron and propose two possible scenarios explaining the further enhancement of catalytic activity by N and B co-doping.