Three-dimensional porous metal–nitrogen doped carbon nanostructure as a superior non-precious electrocatalyst in oxygen reduction reaction

[Display omitted] •Metal–nitrogen doped nanostructures were prepared using a one-pot synthesis.•The nanostructures consisted of three-dimensionally hollow carbons.•The nanostructures exhibited well-doped metal and nitrogen species.•The nanostructures showed highly improved electrochemical properties in ORR. We report the porous transition metal–nitrogen doped carbon nanostructures as cathode catalysts using a well-stacked arrangement of template materials in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone as nitrogen and carbon sources and metal phthalocyanine as metal and nitrogen sources. The as-prepared nanostructures show high specific surface areas (105.73–228.13m2g−1), porous structure, and doped metal and nitrogen species (pyridinic-N, pyrrolic-N, and graphitic-N) into carbon structures. In particular, the porous Fe–N-doped carbon nanostructure exhibits excellent ORR electrocatalytic properties in alkaline electrolyte; i.e., electron transfer number close to 4, high half-wave potential (0.81V), improved electrochemical stability (a slight decrease of ∼31mV in the half-wave potential after the stability test), and methanol tolerance.