Comparison activity of Fe-Co/NG and Fe-Co/MWCNT Bimetallic Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Fuel Cell Cathode

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

School of Chemical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, I.R. IRAN

Abstract

In this work, the electrocatalytic performance of nitrogen-doped graphene (NG)-based catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) has been compared with its counterpart while supported on MultiWall Carbon NanoTubes (MWCNTs).Nanoflower-like NG with designed nitrogen types is directly synthesized using a low-temperature solvothermal process Fe and Co nanoparticles were precipitated on NG and for comparison on MWCNTs using a modified polyol method.
The morphology of the NG is studied using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The synthesized electrocatalysts are characterized using transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.The electrocatalytic properties of NG, Fe-Co/NG, and Fe-Co/MWNT catalysts are investigated for ORR in 0.1 M KOH. Cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy are used to measure electrocatalytic activity. The Fe-Co/NG catalyst exhibited higher ORR activity than NG and Fe-Co/MWNT catalysts.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

[1] Morozan A., Jousselme B., Palacin S., Low-Platinum and Platinum-Free Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction at Fuel Cell Cathodes, Energy & Environmental Science, 4: 1238-54 (2011).
[2] Zhang S., Shao Y., Yin G., Lin Y., Recent Progress in Nanostructured Electrocatalysts for PEM Fuel Cells, Journal of Materials Chemistry A., 1: 4631-41 (2013).
[3] کوشکی، ع؛ روشن­ضمیر، س؛ بهینه‌سازی لایه‌ی کاتالیست کاتدی در پیل‌های سوختی غشای تبادل پروتون، نشریه شیمی و مهندسی شیمی ایران، 34: 21-30 (2015).
[4] Zhang M., Dai L., Carbon Nanomaterials as Metal-Free Catalysts in Next Generation Fuel Cells, Nano Energy, 1: 514-7 (2012).
[5] Li H., Liu H., Jong Z., Qu W., Geng D., Sun X., Wang H., Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotubes with High Activity for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Media, Int J HydrogenEnergy, 36: 2258-65 (2011).
[6] Zheng B., Wang J., Wang F-B., Xia X-H., Synthesis of Nitrogen Doped Graphene with High Electrocatalytic Activity Toward Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Electrochem Commun, 28:24-6 (2013).
[7] Liu G., Li X., Lee J-W., Popov B.N., A Review of the Development of Nitrogen-Modified Carbon-Based Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction at USC, Catalysis Science & Technology, 1: 207-17 (2011).
[8] Huang C., Li C., Shi G., Graphene Based Catalysts, Energy & Environmental Science, 5: 8848-68 (2012).
[9] Mo Z., Liao S., Zheng Y., Fu Z., Preparation of Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Nanotube Arrays and Their Catalysis Towards Cathodic Oxygen Reduction in Acidic and Alkaline Media, Carbon, 50: 2620-7 (2012).
[10] Shanmugam S., Osaka T., Efficient Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction over Metal Free-Nitrogen Doped Carbon Nanocapsules, Chem Commun, 47: 4463-5 (2011).
[11] Shen W., Fan W., Nitrogen-Containing Porous Carbons: Synthesis and Application, Journal of Materials Chemistry A., 1: 999-1013 (2013).
[12] Imran Jafri R., Rajalakshmi N., Ramaprabhu S., Nitrogen Doped Graphene Nanoplatelets as Catalyst Support for Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell, J Mater Chem., 20: 7114-7 (2010).
[13] He C., Li Z., Cai M., Cai Mei, Wang J-Q., Tian Z.l., Zhang X., Kang Shen P., A Strategy for Mass Production of Self-Assembled Nitrogen-Doped Graphene as Catalytic Materials, Journal of Materials Chemistry A., 1: 1401-6 (2013).
[14] Geng D., Chen Y., Chen Y., Li Y., Li R., Sun X., Ye S., Knights Sh., High Oxygen-Reduction Activity and Durability of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene, Energy & EnvironmentalScience, 4:760-4 (2011).
[15] Xiong B., Zhou Y., Zhao Y., Wang J., Chen X., O’Hayre R., Shao z., The use of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Supporting Pt Nanoparticles as a Catalyst for Methanol Electrocatalytic Oxidation, Carbon, 52: 181-92 (2013).
[16] تارقلی ا, موسوی خوشدل س م, رحمانی‌فر م. تأثیر نقص های ساختاری در گرافن عامل دار شده با گروه عاملی –COOH در کارایی ابرخازن پایه گرافنی، نشریه شیمی و مهندسی شیمی ایران، 35: 33-42 (2016).
[17] قاسمی ا, اسلامی ب, احسانی نمین پ, عزیزی ح, کرابی م. بررسی جذب یون کادمیم ازمحلول آبی با استفاده از نانوکامپوزیت بر پایه کیتوسان/ نانو صفحات گرافن اصلاح شده با تری اتیل آمین، نشریه شیمی و مهندسی شیمی ایران، (مقاله آماده انتشار).
[18] Naseri A., Barati R., Rasoulzadeh F., Bahram M., Studies on Adsorption of Some Organic Dyes from Aqueous Solution onto Graphene Nanosheets, Iranian Journal of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering (IJCCE), 34:51-60 (2015).
[19] Wu J., Zhang D., Wang Y., Hou B., Electrocatalytic Activity of Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Synthesized via a One-Pot Hydrothermal Process Towards Oxygen Reduction Reaction, J Power Sources, 227:185-90 (2013).
[20] Wang H., Maiyalagan T., Wang X., Review on Recent Progress in Nitrogen-Doped Graphene: Synthesis, Characterization, and Its Potential Applications, ACS Catalysis, 2:781-94 (2012).
[21] Wu G., Nelson M., Ma S., Meng H., Cui G., Shen P.K., Synthesis of Nitrogen-Doped Onion-Like Carbon and Its Use in Carbon-Based CoFe Binary Non-Precious-Metal Catalysts for Oxygen-Reduction, Carbon, 49:3972-82 (2011).
[22] Fu X., Liu Y., Cao X., Jin J., Liu Q., Zhang J., FeCo–Nx Embedded Graphene as High Performance Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 130–131:143-51 (2013).
[23] Li X., Popov B.N., Kawahara T., Yanagi H., Non-Precious Metal Catalysts Synthesized from Precursors of Carbon, Nitrogen, and Transition Metal for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Fuel Cells, J Power Sources, 196:1717-22 (2011).
[24] Jiang S., Zhu C., Dong S., Cobalt and Nitrogen-Cofunctionalized Graphene as a Durable Non-Precious Metal Catalyst with Enhanced ORR Activity, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 1: 3593-9 (2013).
[25] نعمتی م, حسینی س م, مدائنی س س, کرانیان پ, جدی ف. بررسی اثر سولفوناسیون پلیمر پایه بر ویژگی­های الکتروشیمیایی غشاهای نانوکامپوزیتی تبادل کاتیونی ناهمگن. نشریه شیمی و مهندسی شیمی ایران. 2016;35:99-110.
[26] Lim S.H., Li Z., Poh C.K., Lai L., Lin J., Highly Active Non-Precious Metal Catalyst Based on Poly(vinylpyrrolidone)–Wrapped Carbon Nanotubes Complexed with Iron–Cobalt Metal Ions for Oxygen Reduction Reaction, J Power Sources, 214:15-20 (2012).
[27] Kong A., Kong Y., Zhu X., Han Z., Shan Y., Ordered Mesoporous Fe (or Co)–N–Graphitic Carbons as Excellent Non-Precious-Metal Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction, Carbon, 78:49-59 (2014)..
[28] Yu S., Lou Q., Han K., Wang Z., Zhu H., Synthesis and Electrocatalytic Performance of MWCNT-Supported Ag@Pt Core–Shell Nanoparticles for ORR, Int J Hydrogen Energy, 37:13365-70 (2012)..
[29] Sekol R.C., Li X., Cohen P., Doubek G., Carmo M., Taylor A.D., Silver Palladium Core–Shell Electrocatalyst Supported on MWNTs for ORR in Alkaline Media, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 138-139: 285-293 (2013).
[30] Chen Y., Xu J., Liu X., Tang Y., Lu T., Electrostatic Self-Assembly of Platinum Nanochains on Carbon Nanotubes: A Highly Active Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Rduction Reaction, Applied Catalysis B: Environmental, 140–141:552-8 (2013).
[31] Lee K.R., Lee K.U., Lee J.W., Ahn B.T., Woo S.I., Electrochemical Oxygen Reduction on Nitrogen Doped Graphene Sheets in Acid Media, Electrochem Commun, 12:1052-5 (2010).
[32] Jukk K., Kongi N., Matisen L., Kallio T., Kontturi K., Tammeveski K., Electroreduction of Oxygen on Palladium Nanoparticles Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Nanosheets, Electrochim Acta, 137:206-12 (2014).
[33] Yan J., Meng H., Xie F., Yuan X., Yu W., Lin W., Ouyang W., Yuan D., Metal Free Nitrogen Doped Hollow Mesoporous Graphene-Analogous Spheres as Effective Electrocatalyst forOxygen Reduction Reaction, J Power Sources, 245:772-8 (2014).
[34] Cong H-P., Wang P., Gong M., Yu S-H., Facile Synthesis of Mesoporous Nitrogen-Doped Graphene: An Efficient Methanol–Tolerant Cathodic Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction Reaction, Nano Energy., 3:55-63 (2014).

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics