Copper nitride/silver nanostructures synthesized via wet chemical reduction method for the oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract This work presents attempts to synthesize silver-doped copper nitride nanostructures using chemical solution methods. Copper(II) nitrate and silver(I) were used as precursors the oleylamine a reducing capping agent. Homogeneous Cu 3 N/Ag with diameter of ~ 20 nm obtained in one-pot synthesis by addition copper(II) salt precursor already-synthesized silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs). Synthesis two-pot procedure performed adding Ag NPs reaction medium N resulted formation N@Ag nanocomposite, which are uniformly distributed matrix. The morphology, structure, composition specimens studied TEM, XRD, XPS, FT-IR methods, while optical properties UV–Vis spectroscopy spectrofluorimetry. band gap energy decreased for ( E g = 2.1 eV), relation pure 2.4. suggesting insertion atoms into crystal lattice. Additionally, loaded on graphene (GNP) tested catalyst oxygen reduction (ORR) cyclic voltammetry (CV) linear sweep (LSV). N/Ag-modified GNP hybrid material revealed catalytic activity superior that N-based GNP, comparable commercial Pt/C electrode. Graphical