Nitrogenated Graphene Quantum Dot-Derived Copper Single-Atom Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Despite the promise of fuel cells as sustainable energy conversion technologies, their widespread adoption is hindered by the high cost of platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts, particularly for catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) at the cathode. Here, we report copper-based single-atom catalysts (Cu-SACs) as cost-effective non-PGM alternatives for ORR. The catalysts were synthesized via simple pyrolysis of pyrene-derived amine-terminated graphene quantum dots (GQDs) in the presence of nitrogen and metal precursors. The abundant nitrogen functionality in GQDs effectively stabilized isolated Cu atoms during their conversion to porous carbon. A subsequent acid-washing step yielded a high density of atomically dispersed Cu active sites. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (HR-STEM) confirmed the effective incorporation of isolated Cu atoms into the carbon matrix through copper–nitrogen (Cu-N) coordination. Electrochemical measurements revealed excellent ORR activity with a dominant four-electron pathway. This synthetic strategy provides a practical route to developing economically viable, non-precious metal catalysts.