Controllable synthesis of N-doped carbon nanohorns: tip from closed to half-closed, used as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract The development of efficient, cost-effective and stable N-doped carbon material with catalytic activity as an excellent catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for renewable energy systems. In this study, the unique tip-half-closed N-doped carbon nanohorns (THC-N-CNHs) were firstly produced by the positive pressure-assisted arc discharge method using N2 as the nitrogen source. Benefitting from the novel tip-half-closed structure and sufficient porosity, the specific surface area (SSA) of THC-N-CNHs is calculated to be 670 m2 g−1 without