Nanofiber-Based Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts with Improved Mass Transfer Kinetics in a Meso-Porous Structure and Enhanced Reaction Kinetics by Confined Fe and Fe 3 C Particles for Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Wenzhe Luo, Longsheng Cao, Ming Hou, Liang He, Yawen Zhou, Feng Xie and Zhigang Shao
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Wenzhe Luo: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Longsheng Cao: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Ming Hou: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Liang He: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Yawen Zhou: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Feng Xie: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China
Zhigang Shao: Fuel Cell System and Engineering Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Fuel Cells & Hybrid Power Sources, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dalian 116023, China

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 11, 1-15

Abstract: The development of high-performance nonprecious metal catalysts for oxygen reduction reactions is critical for the commercialization of fuel cells. In this paper, we report a non-precious catalyst with high-performance, in which Fe and Fe 3 C is embedded in nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers (MIL-N-CNFs) by co-electrospinning Fe-MIL and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) and pyrolyzing. The mass ratio of Fe-MIL to PAN in the precursors and the pyrolysis temperature were optimized to be 1.5 and treated at 800 °C, respectively. The optimized catalyst exhibited an onset potential of 0.950 V and a half-wave potential of 0.830 V in alkaline electrolytes, thanks to the improved mass transfer kinetics in a meso-porous structure and enhanced reaction kinetics by confined Fe and Fe 3 C particles. Additionally, the optimized catalyst showed a better methanol tolerance than the commercial 20 wt.% Pt/C, indicating a potential application in direct methanol fuel cells. Serving as the cathode in CCM, the anion-exchange membrane fuel cell reaches a power density of 192 mW cm −2 at 428 mA cm −2 and 80 °C.

Keywords: electrospinning; oxygen reduction reaction; N-doped carbon nanofiber; Fe-MIL; AEMFC (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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