Abstract
Coal has been utilized as a nonprecious metal catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The Australia brown coal was nitrogen-doped at 673–1123K in a stream of NH3. The raw and NH3-treated Australia brown coals were characterized on the basis of their N2 adsorption, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The nitrogen doping of the coal at 1073K increased the BET surface area from 10 to 671m2/g having 95% slit-shaped micropores with a type I monolayer adsorption. The nitrogen-doped coal at 1073K exhibited the highest potential of 0.85V vs. RHE (at −0.005mA/cm2), which was evaluated by three-electrode electrochemical measurements using a rotating ring disk electrode in a 0.5M H2SO4 aqueous solution. The ORR activity of the nitrogen-doped coal was related to the pyridine-N species, microporosity and degree of disordered carbons in the coal. The iron addition to the coal from 10 to 103ppm increased the ORR onset potential. The active structure of the coal-derived catalyst was discussed based on the results of the XPS, Raman, N2 adsorption and iron effect.
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