Bottom-up synthesis of nitrogen-doped nanocarbons by a combination of metal catalysis and a solution plasma process.

We aimed to develop the bottom-up synthesis of nanocarbons with specific functions from molecules without any leaving group, halogen atom and boronic acid, by employing a metal catalyst under solution plasma irradiation. Pyridine was used as a source of carbon. In the presence of a Pd catalyst, the plasma treatment enabled the synthesis of N-doped carbons with a pyridinic configuration, which worked as an active catalytic site for the oxygen reduction reaction.