Fe-PPy-TsOH/C as Cathode Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

doi:10.15541/jim20160399

Abstract

Abstract:

Cathode catalyst is a dominant parameter hindering the development of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), exploiting non-precious metal based catalysts with low cost and high activity has become an urgent task in recent decades. In this work, a non-precious metal based catalyst of heat-treated nitrogen doped carbon supported transition metal based catalyst (M-N/C catalyst) was chosen as the subject, and a series of Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts were synthesized with iron salt as the metal precursor, BP 2000 carbon black as the carbon source, polypyrrole (PPy) as the nitrogen source, and methyl benzene sulfonic acid (TsOH) as the dopant. The effects of heat-treatment temperature and cobalt-doping on the phase structure, morphologyand catalytic performance towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) were comparatively investigated. It shows that 800℃ is the optimal heat-treatment temperature to prepare high performance Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalyst. If the iron in the Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalyst is replaced by appropriate amount of cobalt, its catalytic performance towards ORR could be further improved, and the best ORR performance could be achieved at a cobalt cotent of 33.33% (Fe:Co=2:1 in ratio) in the range of 0-50at%.

Key words: proton exchange membrane fuel cells, oxygen reduction reaction, Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalyst, heat treatment, cobalt doping

CLC Number:

O646

LI Shu-Ling, YUAN Xian-Xia, KONG Hai-Chuan, XU Jin, MA Zi-Feng. Fe-PPy-TsOH/C as Cathode Catalyst for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells[J]. Journal of Inorganic Materials, 2017, 32(4): 393-399.

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1 Content of Fe and Co in Fe1-xCox-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts

Catalyst	Fe/mmol	Co/mmol	Fe:Co
Catalyst	Fe/mmol	Co/mmol	synthesis	ICP
1	1.000	0	1:0	1:0
2	0.750	0.250	3:1	3.127:1
3	0.667	0.333	2:1	2.066:1
4	0.500	0.500	1:1	1.077:1

Fig. 1 XRD patterns of Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts synthesized at various temperatures

Fig. 2 Raman spectra of Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts synthesized at various temperatures

Fig. 3 TEM images of Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts synthesized at various temperatures(a) 600℃; (b) 700℃; (c) 800℃; (d) 900℃; (e) 1000℃

Fig. 4 Cyclic voltammograms of Fe-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts synthesized at various temperatures in oxygen saturated 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution at a potential scanning rate of 5 mV/s

Fig. 5 XRD patterns of Fe1-xCox-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts with various Co contents

Fig. 6 TEM images of Fe1-xCox-PPy-TsOH /C catalysts with various Co contents(a) Fe1Co0-PPy-TsOH/C; (b) Fe0.75:Co0.25-PPy-TsOH/C; (c) Fe0.666Co0.333- PPy-TsOH /C; (d) Fe0.5:Co0.5-PPy-TsOH/C

Fig. 7 N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms (a) and the calculated BET specific surface areas (b) of Fe1-xCox-PPy-TsOH /C catalysts

Fig. 8 Cyclic voltammograms of Fe1-xCox-PPy-TsOH/C catalysts in oxygen saturated 0.5 mol/L H2SO4 solution at a potential scanning rate of 5 mV/s

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