Mesoporous iron-nitrogen co-doped carbon material as cathode catalyst for the anion exchange membrane fuel cell
Jaana Lilloja, Marek Mooste, Elo Kibena‐Põldsepp, Ave Sarapuu, Barr Zulevi, Arvo Kikas, Helle‐Mai Piirsoo, Aile Tamm, Vambola Kisand, Steven Holdcroft, Alexey Serov, Kaido Tammeveski
Abstract
A novel and commercially available electrocatalyst is characterised and used as cathode catalyst in an anion-exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). The catalyst material is prepared using VariPore™ method by Pajarito Powder, LLC, and as dopants iron and nitrogen are used, making it a mesoporous transition metal-nitrogen-carbon type catalyst. The physico-chemical characterisation shows the success of doping as well as almost completely mesoporous structure (average pore size of approximately 7 nm) with high specific surface area. The initial assessment of the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity by the rotating ring-disc electrode method reveals that the material exhibits a very good electrocatalytic performance in alkaline media having a half-wave potential of 0.89 V. The catalyst material is employed as an anion exchange membrane fuel cell cathode and it shows AEMFC performance as good as that of the Pt-based material. The high ORR electrocatalytic activity of this material is due to the synergy of nitrogen-moieties, namely pyrrolic-N, pyridinic-N and graphitic-N, with iron as well as the highly mesoporous nature.