Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) play a vital role in a future carbon-neutral transportation scenario based on hydrogen as the energy carrier. Fe-based non-noble metal oxygen reduction catalysts of the Fe/N/C-type have attracted considerable interest as an inexpensive replacement for state-of-the-art Pt-based materials on the cathode side of the PEFCs [1]. In this talk, I would like to introduce you the Fe/N/C catalysts synthesized in our laboratory, based on polyacrylonitrile as the C and N-precursor, sodium carbonate as the pore inducing agent and Fe-phenanthroline as the metal precursor [2]. The structure of these materials have been studied using various advanced spectroscopic methods, such as X-ray photoelectron, absorption, emission and Mössbauer spectroscopies [3], while the electrochemical activity of these materials was estimated by rotating disc electrode as well as in PEFC.
D. Banham, S. Ye, K. Pei, J. I. Ozaki, T. Kishimoto and Y. Imashiro, A review of the stability and durability of non-precious metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, J. Power Sources, 2015, 285, 334–348
K. Ebner, J. Herranz, V. A. Saveleva, B.-J. Kim, S. Henning, M. Demicheli, F. Krumeich, M. Nachtegaal and T. J. Schmidt, Fe-based O2-reduction catalysts synthesized using Na2CO3 as a pore inducing agent, ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 2019, 2, 1469–1479
V.A. Saveleva, K. Ebner, L. Ni, U.I. Kramm, A. Zitolo, J. Li, F. Jaouen, D. Klose, G. Smolentsev, O.V. Safonova, M. Nachtegaal, T.J. Schmidt, J. Herranz, under submission