High Surface Iron/Cobalt-Containing Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Aerogels as Non-Precious Advanced Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

作者：Elumeeva Karina^*; Ren Jiawen; Antonietti Markus; Fellinger Tim Patrick

来源：ChemElectroChem, 2015, 2(4): 584-591.

DOI：10.1002/celc.201402364

• aerogels
• electrocatalysis
• ionic liquids
• oxygen reduction reaction
• salt templating

Nitrogen-doped carbon-based catalysts are promising candidates to substitute expensive and moderately durable platinum-based catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Condensation of ionic liquids (ILs) in salt melts enables the formation of hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbons with very high surface areas. Here we present synthesis and the employment of high-nitrogen-doped carbon aerogels modified with iron and cobalt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the relevant half-cell reaction for all fuel cells, using rotating disk/ring-disk electrode measurements. We show favorable performances compared to the current Pt/C standard. TEM analysis of the iron composites gave an amorphous, quasi-atomic distribution of the metal, while iron/cobalt composites form very small, well-supported nanoparticles.

• 出版日期2015-4-15