• Herrmann, I.; Kramm, U.I.; Fiechter, S.; Brüser, V.; Kersten, H.; Bogdanoff, P.: Comparative study of the carbonisation of CoTMPP by low temperature plasma and by heat treatment. Plasma Processes and Polymers 7 (2010), p. 515-526

10.1002/ppap.200900134

Abstract:
Low temperature plasma treatment (LTP) of cobalt-tetramethoxyphenylporphyrin (CoTMPP) has been applied as a promising alternative method to the conventional heat treatment in order to attain high active catalysts for the electroreduction of oxygen. In this contribution it is shown that CoTMPP can be completely transformed into a carbon matrix by adjusting adequate LTP parameters. The carbonisation process of CoTMPP is investigated at different operation conditions by Raman and IR spectroscopy and compared with the structural features of the heat treated one. As a result it appears that the LTP occurs via a different carbonisation process which yields in a more homogeneous defined molecular carbon structure.