Abstract
Non-precious-metal catalysts are promising alternatives for Pt-based cathode materials in low-temperature fuel cells, which is of great environmental importance. Here, we have investigated the bifunctional electrocatalytic activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of mixed metal (FeNi; FeMn; FeCo) phthalocyanine-modified multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) prepared by a simple pyrolysis method. Among the bimetallic catalysts containing nitrogen derived from corresponding metal phthalocyanines, we report the excellent ORR activity of FeCoN-MWCNT and FeMnN-MWCNT catalysts with the ORR onset potential of 0.93 V and FeNiN-MWCNT catalyst for the OER having EOER = 1.58 V at 10 mA cm–2. The surface morphology, structure, and elemental composition of the prepared catalysts were examined with scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The FeCoN-MWCNT and FeMnN-MWCNT catalysts were prepared as cathodes and tested in anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Both catalysts displayed remarkable AEMFC performance with a peak power density as high as 692 mW cm–2 for FeCoN-MWCNT.
Highlights
With the increasing demand for energy and the limited amount of fossil fuels, the development of the electric automobile and the generation of renewable energy are of great interest toward a sustainable world
It should be noted that the prepared bimetallic catalysts do not show any difference in surface morphology, which means that different metal phthalocyanines do not affect the morphology of the catalyst materials to a noticeable degree
Fringes can be seen around the nanoparticles, which proves the presence of metal nanoparticles within carbon matrix, further validating the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results
Summary
With the increasing demand for energy and the limited amount of fossil fuels, the development of the electric automobile and the generation of renewable energy are of great interest toward a sustainable world. Platinumbased nanomaterials have been spotted as the most efficient electrocatalyst for the ORR.[6,7] For the OER, noble metals such as ruthenium or iridium and their oxides have shown state-ofthe-art OER activity.[8] their high cost and mediocre stability hinder their use in commercial applications.[6] substantial attempts have been made toward the development of high-performance non-precious-metal electrocatalysts for the ORR and OER.[9−20] It has been experimentally and theoretically established that the transition-metal and nitrogen-doped carbon materials (MN-C) are promising candidates for the ORR and OER due to their earth-abundant content, low price, and promising electrocatalytic properties.[11,21−23] In the past decade, extensive work has been carried out to prepare M-N-C electrocatalysts, e.g., by pyrolysis of nitrogen-containing compounds, carbon. The most active catalysts were tested in AEMFC as well as anion-exchange membrane electrolyzer (AEMEL) configurations as cathode catalysts
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
