A flexible non-precious metal Fe-N/C catalyst for highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction. (6th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: He, Xinping; Xia, Yang; Liang, Chu; Zhang, Jun; Huang, Hui; Gan, Yongping; Zhao, Chun; Zhang, Wenkui
• Is Part Of: Nanotechnology. Volume 30:Number 14(2019)
• Publication Date: 2019-02-06
• Subjects: iron-coordinated -- copolymer modified carbon cloth -- electrocatalyst -- oxygen reduction reaction -- fuel cells; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanotechnology; Publications périodiques; Nanotechnologies; Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/aafc7c
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0957-4484

Abstract

Abstract: A novel, flexible non-precious-metal oxygen reduction reaction catalyst is fabricated by direct pyrolysis of carbon cloth decorated with an iron-coordinated aniline and pyrrole copolymer. The resultant Fe-N/C manifests superior activity, long-term stability in alkaline media and comparable activity in acidic electrolyte. The precursor carbon cloth modified with aniline and pyrrole copolymer provides high densities of carbon, nitrogen and iron-doping sites, which generates a great many active sites. Compared to the Pt/C catalyst, Fe-N/C pyrolyzed at 850 °C (Fe-N/C-850) shows excellent activity with onset and half-wave potentials of 17 mV and −174 mV in 0.1 M KOH, which are more activated than an iron-free catalyst (−29 mV and −235 mV) and comparable to those of Pt/C (28 mV and −237 mV) with the same loading. The electrocatalysis and reaction kinetics results demonstrate that Fe-N/C-850 will be a promising catalyst at low cost for applications in fuel cells.