Cobalt decorated nitrogen-doped carbon bowls as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Cobalt decorated nitrogen-doped carbon bowls (Co@NCB) have been successfully constructed by impregnating bowl-like resin particles with cobalt salt followed by annealing. The cobalt exists in the following two forms in the obtained Co@NCB: Co nanoparticles and CoN. The Co@NCB outperforms the commercial Pt/C in the oxygen reduction reaction in terms of half-wave potential and stability. When Co@NCB is applied in zinc-air batteries, a high open-circuit voltage, excellent power density, and satisfactory stability are achieved.