Heterojunction nanowires having high activity and stability for the reduction of oxygen: Formation by self-assembly of iron phthalocyanine with single walled carbon nanotubes (FePc/SWNTs)

•FePc/SWNT heterojunction nanowires are prepared via a self-assembly approach.•FePc/SWNT performs much better than Pt/C in the ORR in alkaline media.•DFT and experimental results are combined to understand the ORR at FePc/SWNT.•The O2–FePc interaction is facilitated with fast electron transfer to the surface. A self-assembly approach to preparing iron phthalocyanine/single-walled carbon nanotube (FePc/SWNT) heterojunction nanowires as a new oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalyst has been developed by virtue of water-adjusted dispersing in 1-cyclohexyl-pyrrolidone (CHP) of the two components. The FePc/SWNT nanowires have a higher Fermi level compared to pure FePc (d-band center, DFT=−0.69eV versus −0.87eV, respectively). Consequently, an efficient channel for transferring electron to the FePc surface is readily created, facilitating the interaction between FePc and oxygen, so enhancing the ORR kinetics. This heterojunction-determined activity in ORR illustrates a new stratagem to preparing non-noble ORR electrocatalysts of significant importance in constructing real-world fuel cells.