Mesoporous MnCo2O4 with abundant oxygen vacancy defects as high-performance oxygen reduction catalysts

Mesoporous MnCo2O4 materials with abundant surface defects are synthesized by a novel template-free method without using high temperature or pressure. Two important features are achieved simultaneously, i.e. highly porous architecture with a large surface area up to 263 m2 g−1 and numerous oxygen vacancy defects, which favor efficient mass transport, greatly enhance the affinity of mesoporous MnCo2O4 toward O2, and supply more accessible active sites. Consequently, the synthesized electrocatalysts exhibit comparable catalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction, much better stability and methanol tolerance ability in comparison to the Pt/C catalyst.