Nitrogen-doped carbon cloth as a stable self-supported cathode catalyst for air/H-2-breathing alkaline fuel cells

作者：Vivekananthan Jeevanthi; Masa Justus; Chen Peirong; Xie Kunpeng; Muhler Martin; Schuhmann Wolfgang

来源：Electrochimica Acta, 2015, 182: 312-319.

DOI：10.1016/j.electacta.2015.09.064

• N-doped carbon cloth
• oxygen reduction reaction
• air/H-2-alkaline fuel cell
• long-term stability

The power output of a fuel cell is limited by among others, the intrinsic activity of the active matrix and the mass transport of the products and reactants. Of equally crucial importance is the long-term durability of the cell components including the electrocatalysts. Herein, carbon cloth (CC) was functionalized with nitrogen-containing groups by treatment with NH3 at 400 degrees C or by pyrolysis of a composite of polypyrrole on CC at 800 degrees C. The resulting N-doped CC (NCC) was employed as an air-breathing cathode in a custom-made air/H-2 alkaline fuel cell, serving as the current collector as well as catalytic matrix with enhanced oxygen transport. The cell exhibited high operational durability with only 2% loss in activity after 25 days and delivered a maximum power density of 120 mW m(-2) at a voltage of 0.35 V. The concept of a self-supported highly stable metal-free catalyst and the breathing H-2/air cell design provide platforms for the design and investigation of catalysts. Moreover, a higher cell voltage can be realized if the cell is operated under pressurized conditions or by replacing air with O-2.

• 出版日期2015-11-10