Synthesis, electrochemistry and electrocatalytic activity of cobalt phthalocyanine complexes – Effects of substituents for oxygen reduction reaction

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/j.poly.2018.06.018

The synthesis, characterization, electrochemistry and electrocatalytic activity of the mono (pyridine-4-oxy)-tri (tert-butyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc1) and mono (pyridine-4-oxy)-hexa (hexyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc2) are reported here. One reversi

Full text of DOI:10.1016/j.poly.2018.06.018

Accepted Manuscript
Synthesis, Electrochemistry and Electrocatalytic Activity of Cobalt Phthalo-
cyanine Complexes - Effects of Substituents for Oxygen Reduction Reaction
Elif Turker Acar, Tuba Akkızlar Tabakoglu, Devrim Atilla, Fatma Yuksel,
Gulten Atun
PII:
S0277-5387(18)30335-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2018.06.018
POLY 13226
DOI:
Reference:
Polyhedron
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Received Date:
Accepted Date:
27 March 2018
5 June 2018
Please cite this article as: E.T. Acar, T.A. Tabakoglu, D. Atilla, F. Yuksel, G. Atun, Synthesis, Electrochemistry
and Electrocatalytic Activity of Cobalt Phthalocyanine Complexes - Effects of Substituents for Oxygen Reduction
Reaction, Polyhedron (2018), doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2018.06.018
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Synthesis, Electrochemistry and Electrocatalytic Activity of Cobalt
Phthalocyanine Complexes - Effects of Substituents for Oxygen
Reduction Reaction
Elif Turker Acara*, Tuba Akkızlar Tabakoglub, Devrim Atillab, Fatma Yukselb, Gulten Atuna
aIstanbul University, Engineering Faculty, Department of Chemistry, TR-34320, Avcılar-
Istanbul, TURKEY
bGebze Technical University, Department of Chemistry, TR-41400, Gebze-Kocaeli,
TURKEY.
*Corresponding author:
Dr. Elif TURKER ACAR
Phone: +902124737070
Fax: +902124737180
E-mail: elifacar@istanbul.edu.tr
eturkera@uci.edu
1

Abstract
The synthesis, characterization, electrochemistry and electrocatalytic activity of the mono
(pyridine-4-oxy)- tri (tert-butyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc1) and mono (pyridine-4-oxy)-
hexa (hexyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc2) are reported here. One reversible and one
irreversible oxidation couples and two quasi-reversible reduction couples are observed for two
complexes on the cyclic voltammograms. Both cobalt phthalocyanine derivatives (CoPcs) and
multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite (CoPcs/MWCNT) electrodes are coated on
glassy carbon electrodes and used as electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR).
The morphology of composite surfaces is characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope
(SEM). The results obtained using rotating disk electrode (RDE) reveal that the high catalytic
activity is observed with 4e- and mixed 2e- - 4e- ORR mechanisms for Pc1/MWCNT and
Pc2/MWCNT hybrid catalysts in alkaline media, respectively. The tert-butyl substituent is
more efficient with desired 4e- mechanism on the catalytic activity of the composite electrode
compared to the hexyl substituent on the CoPc ring.
Keywords: Cobalt Phthalocyanine, Substituent Group Effect, Electrocatalytic Activity,
Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Multiwall Carbon Nanotube.
2

1. Introduction
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is the most important reaction in life processes, and has
attracted great interest in a variety of electrochemical technologies and applications including
electrocatalysts, metal-air batteries [1], air-breathing cathodes [2] and especially energy
converting systems such as fuel cells [3-4]. The efficiency of ORR electrocatalysts plays a
crucial role in these applications.
Phthalocyanine (Pc) complexes have been comprehensively studied due to their important
applications in many areas. These highly stable macrocyclic π-electronic systems exhibit
many interesting features such as planarity and electronic delocalization, high symmetry,
efficient light absorption and stability. Besides common usages as dyes and pigments, the Pc
complexes have recently been considered as candidates for more advanced applications
including data storage [5], solar energy conversion [6], photocatalysis [7], photonics [8], gas
and radiation sensors [9], photodynamic therapy (PDT) [10] and fuel cells [11].
Phthalocyanines containing Co as the redox-active metal are also known to catalyze many
important reactions. Co phthalocyanine (CoPc), which is a transition metal macrocycle,
exhibits a unique ORR capability for alternative cathode catalysts [12], due to its large
conjugated molecular structure with strong π-π interactions between aromatic rings. CoPc was
reported as the first alternative cathode to noble metals [13]. However, the poor conductivity
and instability of these metal phthalocyanine (MPc) catalysts necessitate the usage of
conductive supports, which limit their employability in fuel cells [14-15]. Many reports have
shown that MPc supported on carbon materials can greatly enhance the electrocatalytic
3

performance for ORR. The structure and the morphology of the electrode materials strongly
affect the electrochemical properties in terms of their possible applications and performances.
As a new member of the carbon derivatives [16], carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have generated
intense interest as catalyst supports in fuel cells because of their unique one-dimensional
nanostructure, excellent chemical and thermal stability, high surface areas and thermal
conductivity [17-18].
In recent years, CoPc catalysts supported on carbon derivatives have been studied as metal
complex catalysts for oxygen electroreduction. In particular, CoPc compounds supported with
multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have attracted great attention as potential catalysts
for ORR in fuel cells due to the improved electrocatalytic activity of the assembly [19-21].
Planar CoPc absorbed on carbon black catalyzes O2 reduction mainly through a four-electron
process [22]. Two graphite (GR)-MPc nanocomposites, GR-CoPc and GR-FePc, were
successfully supported on graphene oxide (GOx). GRCoPc/GOx modified electrodes showed
a good electrocatalytic ability towards mediated oxidation of glucose, and GR-FePc
composites exhibited excellent ORR activity at significantly less overpotential [23]. Co and
Fe phthalocyanines and Co porphyrins were modified on different types of CNTs, single-wall
(SWCNT), double-wall (DWCNT), and multi-wall (MWCNT), and their functionalized forms
were effectively used for ORR applications. It has been found that the functionalized
MWCNT is the most efficient catalysts for ORR applications [19]. The possibility of using N-
rich ligand complexes as new electrocatalysts has been investigated with different pyridine
complexes supported on carbon-CoPc (CoPc/C). The results have shown that their ORR
catalytic activities are significantly improved after modification [24].
4

Besides CNT support, the substituent groups of phthalocyanine also have a very important
role in ORR activities. Modification of pyridine derivatives can improve the catalytic ORR
activity of carbon supported CoPc [24-25]. For instance, graphene supported FePc containing
tert-pyridine groups has high electrocatalytic performance and is an ideal candidate for the
replacement of commercial Pt/C for ORR [26]. Oppositely, tert-butyl substitutions on iron
phthalocyanines (FePc) decrease ORR activity compared to the unsubstituted compounds
[27]. Tert-butyl substituted cobalt phthalocyanines could also serve as soluble OER catalysts
to enhance charging performance for Li-O2 batteries [28].
In this paper, we investigate the synthesis, characterization and electrochemical properties of
the mono (pyridine-4-oxy)- tri (tert-butyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc1) and mono (pyridine-
4-oxy)- hexa (hexyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc2) compounds. The ORR electrocatalytic
activities of complexes supported by MWCNTs on the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) were
compared with bare and complex modified GCE in alkaline and acidic media. The role of
substituent groups on the ORR catalytic activity of CoPcs (Pc1 and Pc2) and MWCNT-
supported CoPcs (Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT) hybrid catalysts was evaluated using
cyclic voltammetry (CV) and rotating disk electrode (RDE) techniques. The effectiveness of
MWCNTs on ORR catalytic behaviors of CoPc are already known. Our work extends this by
studying the effect of substituent groups on ORR activity of MWCNT/CoPc hybrid catalysts.
CoPc complexes including both pyridyl and tert butyl, hexa-hexyl groups and their use as
catalysts for the ORR are reported here for the first time. These results demonstrate that very
high ORR activity occurs for tert-butyl containing CoPc when compared with hexa-hexyl
containing CoPc in the same one-pyridyl substituted CoPc/MWCNTs. Contrary to what is
known for FePc, CoPc including tert-butyl groups gives exceptional results on ORR activity
and has much higher ORR activity than other CoPc complexes that have been studied.
5

2. Experimental Section
2.1. Materials
All solvents, chemicals and 1-tert-butyl-3,4-dicyanobenzene (1) used for synthesis were
reagent-grade quality and obtained from commercial suppliers. Preparative thin layer
chromatography was performed on silica gel 60 P F254. Commercial grade multi wall
nanotubes (MWCNTs > %95) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich. MWCNTs were
functionalized by treatment in concentrated H2SO4:HNO3 (3:1) mixture and stirred at 70oC for
2 hours. The MWCNTs were then separated from the concentrated acid solution and washed
with ultrapure water. Finally, the purified MWCNT were dried in the drying-oven at 70oC for
12 hours [29]. Nafion® solution (0.5wt. % in alcohol), ethanol, HNO3, H2SO4 and
tetrahydrofuran (THF) were purchased from Sigma Aldrich and used as received. Ultrapure
water (18.2 µS resistivity at room temperature) was used in all experiments.
2.2. Instrumentation
Elemental analysis was obtained using a Thermo Finnigan Flash 1112. Infrared spectra were
recorded between 4000 and 650 cm-1 using a Perkin Elmer Spectrum 100 FT-IR spectrometer
with an attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory featuring a zinc selenide (ZnSe) crystal.
The mass spectra were recorded via Electrospray Ionization (ESI), using a Bruker Micro
TOF-ESI/MS spectrometer.
X-ray suitable single crystals of compound 2 were obtained by crystallization in ethanol in the
freezer at approximately -20 °C. Intensity data were recorded on a Bruker APEX II QUAZAR
diffractometer using Mo Kα x-radiation (λ=0.71073 Å). Absorption correction was performed
by the multi-scan method implemented in SADABS [30] and space groups were determined
using XPREP implemented in APEX2 [31]. Structures were determined using the direct
6

methods procedure in SHELXS-97 and refined by full-matrix least squares on F2 using
SHELXL-97 [32]. All non-hydrogen atoms were refined with anisotropic displacement
factors and C-H hydrogen atoms were placed in calculated positions and allowed to ride on
the parent atom. The final geometrical calculations were carried out with PLATON [33] and
MERCURY [34] programs and the molecular drawings were done with DIAMOND [35]
program. The structure has been deposited to the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre
with CCDC-863723 reference code.
Cyclic Voltammetry (CV) experiments were carried out on Ivium Vertex
potentiostat/galvanostat system with a conventional three electrode cell. A GCE with 3.0 mm
diameter was used as the working electrode. The circuit was completed with a saturated
Ag/AgCl and a platinum wire, which served as the reference and counter electrode,
respectively. Measurements were performed in 5x10-4M CoPc solutions containing 0.1 M of
tetrabutylammonium perchlorate (TBAP) supporting electrolyte under a nitrogen atmosphere.
ORR experiments in acidic and alkaline medium were conducted a with Britton-Robinson
buffers of pH 2.4 and 11.8, respectively [36]. ORR measurements were carried out using
Gamry Instruments Reference 600 Potentiostat/Galvanostat ZRA system in combination with
Gamry Instruments RDE 710 Rotating Disc Electrode (Gamry Instruments, Inc., Warminster,
PA, USA) coupled with a conventional three-compartment electrochemical cell. Rotating
GCE was used as the working electrode and other electrodes were the same as CV
measurements. SEM images of the modified GCE electrodes were obtained using a Jeol-JSM
5600 scanning electron microscope. All electrochemical experiments were performed at room
temperature (25 ± 2 oC).
7

2.3. Synthesis
The synthesis of 1,2-dihexyl-4,5-dibromobenzene (2) [37], 1,2-dihexyl-4,5-dicyanobenzene
(3) [37], and 1-(pyridine-4-oxy) 3,4-dicyanobenzene (4) [38] were achieved according to
published procedures (Scheme 1).
Here “Scheme 1”
5-(Pyridine-4-oxy)-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-diimine (5): Compound 5 was prepared from 1-
(pyridine-4-oxy) 3,4-dicyanobenzene (4). NH3 gas was slowly bubbled through a stirred
mixture of compound 4 (0.05 mol), CH3ONa (0.025 mol) and dry methanol (70 ml) for 1 h at
room temperature.
The mixture was refluxed for 7 h with continuous NH3 introduction.
Then, the resultant mixture was cooled to room temperature, filtered, and washed with water,
ethanol and diethyl ether. Finally, the yellow solid product was dried under vacuum. Yield:
9.16 g, 77%, IR max (cm-1) (ATR): 3281, 3255, 3100-2800, 1694, 1602, 1529, 1428. Micro
TOF-ESI/MS (m/z) calcd for C13H10N4O: 238.09, found: 261.21 [M+Na]+.
Mono (pyridine-4-oxy)- tri (tert-butyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc1): Pc1 was
synthesized from the condensation of a mixture of the phthalonitrile derivatives 1 and 5. A
mixture of 1 (190.59 mg, 0.8 mmol), 5 (95.2 mg, 0.4 mmol), 0.4 mmol anhydrous Co(AcO)2
and 3 ml dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) were refluxed for 18 h under argon atmosphere.
After cooling down to room temperature, the solvent was removed under vacuum. The dark
blue crude product was purified by preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) using 10:1
CH2Cl2/EtOH solvent system. The pure dark blue solid compound was isolated. Yield: 30 mg,
8

(10%); Anal. Calcd. for C49H43CoN9O: C, 70.66; H, 5.20; N, 15.14 %; Found C, 70.49; H,
5.33; N, 14.90; IR max (cm-1) (ATR): 3064 (CHar), 2956, 2903 and 2866 (CHal), 1635 (C=N),
1613, 1569, 1520, 1482,1459, 1407, 1321, 1256, 1188, 1091 (C-O),1056, 827,752; Micro
TOF-ESI/MS (m/z) calcd for C49H43CoN9O: 1168.07 found: 1168.25 [M]+.
Mono (pyridine-4-oxy)- hexa (hexyl) phthalocyaninato Co(II) (Pc2): Pc2 was synthesized
from the condensation of a mixture of the phthalonitrile derivatives 3 and 5. A mixture of 3
(355.2 mg, 1.2 mmol), 5 (95.2 mg, 0.4 mmol), 0.4 mmol anhydrous Co(AcO)2 and 3 ml
dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) were refluxed for 24h under argon atmosphere. After cooling
down to room temperature, the solvent was removed under vacuum. The dark blue crude
product was purified by preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC) using 20:1
CH2Cl2/EtOH solvent system. The pure dark blue solid compound was isolated. Yield: 75 mg,
(16%); Anal. Calcd. for C73H91CoN9O: C, 74.97; H, 7.84; N, 10.78 %; Found C, 74.45; H,
8.10; N, 10.40; IR max (cm-1) (ATR): 3064 (CHar), 2954 and 2854 (CHal), 1637 (C=N), 1613,
1571, 1522, 1464, 1189, 1102 (C-O); Micro TOF-ESI/MS (m/z) calcd for C73H91CoN9O:
1168.10 found: 1168.25 [M]+.
2.4. Catalyst Preparation
A portion of functionalized MWCNT powder was added into CoPc solution in THF to give a
2/1 weight ratio of CoPc/MWCNT. The solution was ultrasonicated for 20 min to form a
homogeneous dispersion. The CoPc/MWCNT hybrid catalyst powders were obtained after
evaporation of the solvent under a nitrogen stream. The catalyst ink solutions were prepared
by sonicating CoPc/MWCNT powders in 0.75 ml of ethanol and 75 µl of Nafion® solution
(0.5 wt.% in alcohol) [19].
9

2.5. Electrode Preparation
The glassy carbon (GC) disk used as rotating electrode was polished with 0.1 mm alumina
slurry (Buehler Micropolish) using polishing pad (Buehler-102 mm) and washed with water,
then it was similarly polished with 0.05 mm alumina slurry and sonicated with water before
each measurement. To create a smooth film, each active layer was deposited by dropping 10
µL onto the GC disk from as-prepared catalyst inks and drying under ambient environment.
Before all measurements, the solutions were saturated with air for ten minutes by bubbling
air.
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Synthesis and Characterization of Complexes
Despite, 1,2-dihexyl-4,5-dibromobenzene (2) is an oily liquid in room temperature, single
crystals of the compound were obtained by cooling to -20 °C in ethanol. Its molecular
structure was established by x-ray diffraction at 120 (2) K. The selected data collection and
refinement details were presented in Table 1 and the crystal structure was given in Figure 1.
Compound 2 has a monoclinic crystal system, C2/c space group and molecule sit on
symmetry centre [symmetry operation is (#): -x+2, y, -z+3/2].
Here “Table 1”
Here “Fig. 1”
Usually, the substituted Pcs are synthesized by cyclotetramerization reaction of substituted
phthalonitrile or the more reactive 1,3-diimino-1H-isoindol derivatives. In this study, 1,3-
diimino-1H-isoindol derivatives of 4 were used to increase the asymmetric Pc derivatives
10

because the reactivity of phthalonitrile derivative (4) was lower than the other phthalonitrile
derivatives (1 or 3). The syntheses of the desired asymmetric compounds (Pc1 and Pc2) were
accomplished by the statistical condensation reaction of two different precursors, the
phthalonitrile derivatives (1 or 3) and the 1,3-diimino-1H-isoindol derivative (5) as given in
Scheme 1. The condensation reaction of these compounds was achieved in dried DMAE in
the presence of anhydrous metal salt. The asymmetric Pc derivatives (Pc1 and Pc2) were
easily purified by preparative thin layer chromatography.
Elemental analysis results of new Pcs (Pc1 and Pc2) were supported to the recommended
formulations with theoretical and experimental data were close together and the results were
given in the experimental section. The ATR-IR spectral results of the Pcs (Pc1 and Pc2)
proved the proposed structure. The sharp peak for the CN vibrations around 2220-2240 cm-1
belonging to nitrile groups disappeared after conversion of the nitrile derivatives to the Pcs. In
addition, the observation of a group of intense bands in the range of 2854-2954 cm-1 in ATR-
IR spectra of both compounds can be attributed to the C-H stretching vibrations of alkyl
chains. The mass spectra of these compounds were obtained by ESI/MS technique and the
molecular ion peaks of both Pc compounds were observed.
3.2. Cyclic Voltammetry
Cyclic voltammograms (CVs) of Co phthalocyanine derivatives were used to estimate their
electron transfer abilities and electrochemical mechanism in THF, which is an organic donor
solvent [39]. The CVs of the complexes, Pc1 and Pc2, were recorded in the potential range of
(-1.8) - 1.5 V versus Ag/AgCl and presented in Fig. 2. Both complexes showed similar
excellent voltammetric behavior including four redox processes in THF. One reversible and
11

one irreversible oxidative response were observed on the positive side and two quasi-
reversible reductive couples appeared on the negative side of the CVs for both complexes.
Here “Fig. 2”
Fig. 3 (a-b) shows the CVs of Pc1 and Pc2 with different scan rates in 0.1 M TBAP/THF
solution system. As shown in Fig. 3 (a-b), the peak intensity of both complexes increases
regularly, and peak potentials do not change substantially with the scan rate. Peak current was
found to have a square-root dependence on scan rate (Ip/v1/2), as shown in Fig. 4. The
electrochemical parameters obtained from CVs at the lowest and highest scan rates were also
compared in Table 2. All electrode processes were characterized by the ratio of cathodic to
anodic peak currents (Ipc/Ipa), peak-to-peak separation (ΔEp) and the effect of the scan rate to
the ΔEp.
Here “Fig. 3”
For Pc1, negative potential scans showed two reductive couples at -0.38 V and -1.45 V formal
potentials, and anodic scans showed two oxidative responses at 0.77 V and 1.07 V. Although
the Ipa/Ipc ratios were around 1.0, the reduction processes I and II have a quasi-reversible
character due to their ΔEp values higher than 60 mV (Table 2) and can be attributed to
Co(I)Pc(-2)/Co(I)Pc(-3) and Co(II)Pc(-2)/Co(I)Pc(-2), respectively.
Here “Table 2.”
12

Process III can be assigned to metal center reversible oxidative Co(II)Pc(-2) / Co(III)Pc(-2)
couple (ΔEp between 60-80 mV and Ipa/Ipc about 1.0) and the ligand based second oxidation
redox couple (IV), Ipa/Ipc about 2.55, shows an irreversible character attributed to the
Co(III)Pc(-2) / Co(III)Pc(-1) versus Ag/AgCl with a ΔEp of 130 mV at 0.050 V/s scan rate, in
spite of the fact that it couples during the reverse scan [40]. A linear relation was observed
between the peak current and the square root of scan rate for the redox process of (I, II and
III). The ratio of Ipc/Ipa is approximately unity and has no change considerably with increasing
scan rates. This phenomenon also shows the diffusion-controlled mass transfer of the process.
However, for redox process IV, the nonlinearity of the Ip/v1/2 line indicates the complication
of the mass transfer mechanism with the previous chemical reaction (Fig. 4a).
Here “Fig. 4”
Although the substituent of Pc2 is quite different, it shows similar voltammetric behavior to
Pc1. The first couple at –0.39 V obtained during reductive scan for Pc2 could be easily
attributed to the Co(II)Pc(−2)/Co(I)Pc(–2) reduction process (II) and the first oxidative
couple at 0.72 V, to the Co(II)Pc(–2)/Co(III)Pc(–2) oxidation process (III) in THF. The
second oxidation process (IV) at 1.05 V could be assigned to the Co(III)Pc(–2)/Co(III)Pc(–1)
process and second reduction process (I) Co (I)Pc(-2)/ Co (I)Pc(-3) at -1.44 V.
3.3. Morphological Characterization of Catalysts
The morphology of composite surfaces was characterized by using SEM. The SEM image of
Pc1 deposited on GCE shows a sponge like structure (Fig. 5a). Nafion® increases stability of
the composites and also stabilizes the CoPc by compressing it around the nanotubes [41]. As
13

seen from the film surfaces in Fig. 5b and 5c, CoPcs/MWCNT composites bound together
with Nafion® successfully deposited, exhibiting a special three-dimensional nanotube or
nanofiber structure on GCE surface. After deposition of the Nafion/CoPc mixture on the
MWCNTs, a homogeneous catalyst-polymer layer was formed on the GCE surface [41].
Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT composite electrodes had uniform capsule-like morphology
and completely covered the GC surface [20].
Here “Fig. 5”
3.4. Electrocatalysis of Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR)
The catalytic effect of the Pc1, Pc2, Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT electrodes for ORR
was investigated by cyclic and rotating disc voltammetry (RDV) techniques.
3.4.1. Electrocatalytic Activity in Alkaline Media
To investigate the catalytic efficiency of the novel phthalocyanines for the ORR, each
compound (Pc1 and Pc2) and their hybrid counterparts (Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT)
with acid functionalized MWCNT were deposited on the GCE surface using the drop-casting
method.
CVs which were recorded in air-saturated BR buffer solution of pH 11.8 showed cathodic
peaks in the potential region between -0.8 and 0.5 V for each complex indicating the oxygen
reduction process (Fig. 6). For all electrodes, ORR peak potentials and the corresponding
current densities were compared to estimate the catalytic efficiency. The bare GC electrode
without Pc coating showed a low ORR peak around -0.58 V in the same alkaline solution.
14

Here “Fig. 6”
The Pc1 catalyst presented a more positive ORR peak potential (around -0.46 V) in alkaline
media compared to Pc2 catalyst (around -0.52 V). The complexes had anodic shifts of about
120 mV and 60 mV compared to the bare electrode illustrating good catalytic effect (Fig. 6 (a-
b). The peaks for the oxygen reduction were observed to be -0.39 V and -0.42 V for the
Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT, respectively. Although all modified electrodes showed a
catalytic effect for ORR, the Pc1/MWCNT was considered as the most efficient catalysts due
to having the highest current density. Thus, for two complexes containing one pyridine group,
the tert-butyl substituted Pc1 complex and hybrid catalyst (Pc1/MWCNT) exhibited a
superior catalytic effect than the hexyl-substituted Pc2 compound in alkaline BR buffer
solution.
3.4.2. Electrocatalytic Activity in Acidic Media
No reduction process occurred for the complexes in acidic BR buffer solution (pH 2.4) under
nitrogen atmosphere. Similarly, for the bare electrode, no ORR peak was observed in acidic
solution. The plots for the GC electrodes coated with Pc1 and Pc2 complexes showed the
oxygen reduction peaks at around -0.40 V and -0.43 V, respectively. At the same conditions,
the broad ORR peaks were observed in both CV voltammograms at around -0.310 V and -
0.330 V for Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT, respectively. The reduction peak of the
Pc2/MWCNT hybrid catalysts shifted to more positive potentials with respect to Pc2 at
around 100 mV (Fig. 7).
Here “Fig. 7”
15

3.4.3. RDV Measurements
Electroreduction of oxygen in alkaline and acidic aqueous solutions can occur mainly via two
different reaction pathways. In alkaline pH, this process can involve the 2 e- reduction
-
pathway to generate the hydrogen peroxide anion HO2 (eq 1) or a direct 4 e- reduction
pathway to generate hydroxide (OH-) (eq 3). On the other hand, it can lead to the production
of a stable hydrogen peroxide species (H2O2) (eq 4) or water (H2O) (eq 5) in acidic pH. The
H2O2 species can be reduced to H2O in more negative potentials (eq 6). For the fuel cells, the
4e- process is a desirable route due to an increase in the maximum energy storage capacity
allowed.
O2 + H2O + 2e− → HO2− + OH−
HO−2 + H2O + 2e− → 3OH−
O2 + 2H2O + 4e− → 4OH−
O2 + 2H+ + 2e− → H2O2
H2O2 + 2H+ + 2e− → 2H2O
O2 + 4H+ + 4e− → 2H2O
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
To calculate the number of electrons, the polarization curves and K–L plots for CoPcs and
CoPcs/MWCNT hybrid catalysts were studied according to RDE measurements in air-
saturated BR buffer solution (pH 11.8). As expected, the limiting current densities increased
16

as a function of the rotation rate in the hydrodynamic system. Fig. 8 (a-e) shows the RDE
voltammograms for the uncoated GC disk electrode and its coated analogs with Pc1,
Pc1/MWCNT, Pc2, Pc2/MWCNT at various rotation rates.
Here “Fig. 8”
The onset potential is independent of the rotation rate and remains constant for the same
catalysts. The onset ORR potential on the Pc1 and Pc2 catalysts started at 160 mV and 270
mV vs. Ag/AgCl, respectively, and shifted considerably towards the negative potential
compared to Pc1/MWCNT (86 mV) and Pc2/MWCNT (120 mV) hybrid catalysts.
RDE plots (1/iL vs. 1/ω-1/2) were drawn according to Koutecky–Levich (K–L) equation (eq 7)
described as:
푖퐿 = 0,62푛퐹퐴퐷2/3C0υ−1/6ω1/2
(7)
Herein iL is the apparent current density, n is the number of electrons transferred in the half
reaction, F is the Faraday constant (96500 Cmol−1), D is the diffusion coefficient of oxygen in
the buffer solutions (1.7 × 10−5 cm2 s−1), A is the geometric area of the electrode (0.070 cm2),
C0 is the concentration of oxygen in the solution (1.3 × 10−3 mol dm−3), υ is the kinematic
viscosity of the solution (0.01 cm2 s−1), and ω is the angular rotation rate of the electrode (rad
s−1) [42]. The linear K-L plot is an indication of the first order reaction kinetics controlled by
the phenomena at the electrode surface and mass transport of oxygen species, and is used to
estimate the apparent number (n) of electrons transferred during ORR at various potentials
[43].
17

The values of n were computed from the slope of the straight lines on the K-L plots in Fig. 9.
For the Pc1/MWCNT and Pc2/MWCNT catalysts, n values were calculated as 3.9 and 3.1 in
the potential range of 0.7 - 0.9 V vs. Ag/AgCl. They were found considerably higher than the
n values estimated as 2.5 and 2.1 for Pc1 and Pc2, respectively.
Here “Fig. 9”
The previous studies [42,44] reporting the ORR catalytic behavior of CoPc compounds reveal
that the ORR which is catalyzed on CoPc based-electrodes follows a 2 e- reduction process
resulting in the formation of peroxide anion. The present results suggest a possible two-step
catalytic activity for the MWCNT supported CoPcs. First, a 2 e- reduction of O2 to HO2 in
CoPcs/MWCNT hybrid catalysts occurs, followed by disproportionation of HO2 into OH,
which enables 4 e- reduction of O2 in alkaline media. The n value of ~3.1 (in Pc2/MWCNT)
was closely related to the mixed 2 e- and 4 e- process [45]. Nevertheless, the highest n value
was calculated as 3.9 for Pc1/MWCNT catalyst which exhibits 4 e- reduction of O2. The
differences in overall electron transfer number reflect the effect of the different substituents
on the CoPc species catalytic mechanisms. Improved catalytic activity was indeed expected to
two CoPcs including pyridine substituent, since N atoms are located in the out ring of the
CoPc, thus providing additional sites for O2 adsorption [26]. But we hypothesize that the
steric hindrance and inflexibility of the hexyl substituents decreased on the one hand O2
absorption on the N atom of pyridine group of Pc2 on the other hand interaction between the
Pc2 and the MWCNT support. Thus Pc2/MWCNT showed a lower ORR activity than the
Pc1/MWCNT hybrid catalyst.
18

These results show that CoPc/MWCNT hybrid catalysts including pyridine and tert(butyl)
groups on the same CoPc structure have superior electrocatalytic activity compared with the
previously reported CoPc/MWCNT activity data for the replacement of commercial Pt/C
(n=3.97 in the alkaline media) towards the ORR [19]. However, hexa(hexyl) groups (Pc2) are
less effective in increasing the ORR catalytic activity of the CoPc/MWCNT hybrid catalysis
compared to tert(butyl) groups (Pc1).
4. Conclusion
In brief, we report the synthesis, characterization, electrochemical properties and ORR
activity of novel cobalt phthalocyanines containing (pyridine-4-oxy)- tri (tert-butyl) and
(pyridine-4-oxy) - hexa (hexyl) substituent groups. Electrochemical measurements of the
compounds show that both complexes (Pc1 and Pc2) have one-electron irreversible Pc(-
2)/Pc(-1) and one-electron reversible CoII/CoIII couples showing the oxidation waves
nearly at the same potentials in CV voltammograms. Two quasi-reversible couples are
observed on the reduction side indicating metal- and ligand-centered one-electron
transfers for both complexes. The SEM results demonstrate that hybrid catalysts have
uniform capsule-like morphology on GCE. The change of substituent for both
phthalocyanine containing one pyridine-4-oxy group considerably effect ORR catalytic
activity. CoPcs/MWCNT catalysts with the influence of different substituent groups
promote the desired 4e- ORR in alkaline solutions while CoPcs only facilitates 2e- ORR.
Although all phthalocyanines and their MWCNT hybrid catalysts show a catalytic effect,
tri (tert-butyl) containing CoPc/MWCNT nanocomposite exhibit excellent ORR activity at
significantly less overpotential (close to 0 V) compared to hexa (hexyl) groups. ORR
19

activity results can be summarized as follows: Pc1/MWCNT > Pc2/MWCNT > Pc1 >
Pc2. These impressive results can be attributed to the synergistic effect between CNT and
tri (tert-butyl) group. These results demonstrating an increased ORR efficiency suggest
that the materials are viable candidates for replacing existing Pt fuel cell catalysts.
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of
Turkey (TUBITAK/TBAG 108T063).
Appendix A. Supplementary data
CCDC-863723 contains the supplementary crystallographic data for compound 2. This
data can be obtained free of charge via http://www.ccdc.cam.ac.uk/conts/retrieving.html, or
from the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre, 12 Union Road, Cambridge CB2 1EZ,
UK; fax: (+44) 1223-336-033; or e-mail: deposit@ccdc.cam.ac.uk.
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23

Figure Captions
Fig. 1 Crystal structures of compound 2 with the atom-numbering scheme. Displacement
ellipsoids are drawn at the 50% probability level. The hydrogen atoms have been omitted for
clarity. Symmetry code (#): -x+2, y, -z+3/2.
Fig. 2 Cyclic voltammograms of 5.0x10-4 mol/l Pc1 and Pc2 in TBAP/THF solvent system
versus Ag/AgCl (scan rate 0.05 Vs-1).
Fig. 3 CVs of (a) Pc1 and (b) Pc2 in TBAP/THF solution. Scan rates (Vs-1): 0.05, 0.1, 0.2,
0.3, 0.4, 0.5.
Fig. 4 Ipa vs. square root of scan rate for the four processes (labelled I, II, III and IV) for (a)
Pc1 and (b) Pc2.
24

Fig. 5 SEM images of (a) Pc1 and (b) Pc1/MWCNT, (c) Pc2/MWCNT composites.
Fig. 6 Reduction of oxygen on (a) Pc1 and Pc1/MWCNT, (b) Pc2 and Pc2/MWCNT on GC
electrode in alkaline media (pH 11.8). Scan rate: 100 mV/s.
Fig. 7 Reduction of oxygen on (a) Pc1 and Pc1/MWCNT, (b) Pc2 and Pc2/MWCNT on GC
electrode in acidic media (pH 2.4). Scan rate: 100 mV/s.
Fig. 8 Polarization curves in air saturated buffer solutions (pH 11.8). Coated with (a) Pc1, (b)
Pc1/MWCNT, (c) Pc2, (d) Pc2/MWCNT and (e) bare electrode (scan rate: 0.05 V/s).
Fig. 9 Levich−Koutecky plots at different potentials coated with (a) Pc1, (b) Pc1/MWCNT,
(c) Pc2, (d) Pc2/MWCNT and (e) uncoated GC rotating electrode vs. Ag/AgCl.
25

Scheme Captions
Scheme 1 Synthesis of Pc1 and Pc2 (i) metal salt, DMAE, reflux.
26

Compound
Empirical formula
Formula weight
Temperature (K)
Crystal system
Space group
a (Å)
2
C18H28Br2
404.22
120(2)
Monoclinic
C2/c
10.15650(10)
9.48860(10)
18.7689(2)
98.7280(10)
b (Å)
c (Å)
 ()
Volume (Å3)
Z
1787.83(3)
4
Density (calc, Mg/m3)
Absorption coeff. (mm-1)
F(000)
1.502
4.525
824
25.12

max ()
27

6847
1596
0.0177
92
Reflections collected
Independent reflections
Rint (merging R value)
Parameters
R (F2>2F2)
0.014
0.039
1.067
wR (all data)
Goodness-of-fit on F2
Table 1 X-ray crystallographic data and refinement parameters for compound 2.
υ
Epa
(V)
Epc
(V)
ΔEp
E1/2
(V)
Complex
Pc1
Couple
Ipa/Ipc
(mV/s)
(mV)
I
50
-1.35
-0.31
-1.54
-0.45
190
140
-1.45
-0.38
1.18
1.23
II
III
IV
0.79
1.13
0.73
1.00
60
0.77
1.07
0.80
2.55
130
I
500
-1.33
-0.27
0.78
-1.58
-0.5
250
230
80
1.46
0.39
0.74
1.06
-1.44
-0.39
1.26
1.23
1.01
0.32
1.17
1.02
II
III
IV
I
0,7
1.10
1.01
-1,48
-0.45
90
Pc2
50
-1.40
-0.33
80
II
120
28

III
IV
I
0.75
1.12
-1.38
-0.30
0.76
1.13
0.69
0.98
-1.52
-0.50
0.67
0.95
60
0.72
1,05
-1.45
-0.34
0.72
1.04
0.95
0.85
1.21
1.15
1.01
1.36
140
140
200
90
500
II
III
IV
180
Table 2 Electrochemical Parameters of 5.0x10-4 M CoPc complexes in THF/ TBAP at 50 and
500 mV/s scan rates.
29