Abstract
This study presents the performance of a carbon-black-supported pyrolyzed vitamin B9 (folic acid)-treated cathode catalyst (py-Fe-FA/C) in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Electrochemical ORR measurements revealed that using py-Fe-FA/C resulted in excellent ORR activity through the direct four-electron reduction pathway. The H2–O2 PEMFC with py-Fe-FA/C in the cathodic side produces a maximum power density of 330 mW cm–2 with the 80 °C operation temperature and the 1 atm back pressure. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and in situ X-ray adsorption spectroscopy proved that the enhanced ORR activity was caused by the network structure of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, quaternary-type (graphitic) nitrogen, and the coordination structure of the py-Fe-FA/C, as confirmed by the ORR mechanism study using detailed XPS and in situ X-ray adsorption spectroscopy. Particularly, in situ X-ray adsorption spectroscopy elucidated the ORR mechanism of the py-Fe-FA/C.
Published Version
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