The solution plasma process for heteroatom-carbon nanosheets: the role of precursors.

The solution plasma process (SPP), known as non-equilibrium cold plasma at atmospheric pressure and room temperature, was used to investigate the synthesis of nitrogen-carbon nasnosheets (NCNs). To verify the effect of elementary composition and structure of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP), various precursors were used in the SPP to synthesize NCNs via the bottom-up synthesis method for the first time. The NCNs were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Heterocarbon nanosheets incorporating iron phthalocyanine for oxygen reduction reaction in both alkaline and acidic media.

Heterocarbon nanosheets incorporating iron phthalocyanine (FP-NCNs-SP) have been successfully synthesized by a facile one-pot solution plasma process at high repetition frequency. It was found that the Fe-N4 catalytic active sites could be preserved on the FP-NCNs-SP without degradation. The FP-NCNs-SP also possessed large surface area, good conductivity and high degree of graphitization.