scholarly journals Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt and Nitrogen Co-Doped Peat-Derived Carbon Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Acidic Media

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 715
Author(s):  
Rutha Jäger ◽  
Patrick Teppor ◽  
Maarja Paalo ◽  
Meelis Härmas ◽  
Anu Adamson ◽  
...  

In this study, several peat-derived carbons (PDC) were synthesized using various carbonization protocols. It was found that depending on the carbonization method, carbons with very different surface morphologies, elemental compositions, porosities, and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities were obtained. Five carbons were used as carbon supports to synthesize Co-N/PDC catalysts, and five different ORR catalysts were acquired. The surface analysis revealed that a higher nitrogen content, number of surface oxide defects, and higher specific surface area lead to higher ORR activity of the Co-N/PDC catalysts in acidic solution. The catalyst Co-N/C-2(ZnCl2), which was synthesized from ZnCl2-activated and pyrolyzed peat, showed the highest ORR activity in both rotating disk electrode and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell tests. A maximum power density value of 210 mW cm−2 has been obtained. The results of this study indicate that PDCs are promising candidates for the synthesis of active non-platinum group metal type catalysts.

Catalysts ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 799 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rehan Anwar ◽  
Naseem Iqbal ◽  
Saadia Hanif ◽  
Tayyaba Noor ◽  
Xuan Shi ◽  
...  

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been at the center stage of material science in the recent past because of their structural properties and wide applications in catalysis. MOFs have also been used as hard templates for the preparation of catalysts. In this study, highly active CuPt/NC electrocatalyst was synthesized by pyrolyzing Cu-tpa MOF along with Pt precursor under flowing Ar-H2 atmosphere. The catalyst was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). Rotating disk electrode study was performed to determine the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity for CuPt/NC in 0.1 M HClO4 at different revolutions per minute (400, 800, 1200, and 1600) and it was also compared with commercial Pt/C catalyst. Further the ORR performance was evaluated by K-L plots and Tafel slope. CuPt/NC shows excellent ORR performance with onset potential of 0.9 V (vs. RHE), which is comparable with commercial Pt/C. The ORR activity of CuPt/NC is demonstrated as an efficient electrocatalyst for fuel cell.


2012 ◽  
Vol 535-537 ◽  
pp. 2104-2107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Ding ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
Ling Ling Liu ◽  
Jin Li Qiao ◽  
Yu Yu Liu

Effect of heat-treatment on the activity of nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc) catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was studied in both acid and alkaline electrolytes. The catalytic activity was found to depend strongly on the electrolyte and heat treatment temperature. High ORR activity was demonstrated on 40%NiPc/C electrode in 0.1M KOH solution, and the heat-treatment of 800oC is optimal for the catalyst synthesized. Further using rotating disk electrode (RDE) measurements and Koutechy-Levich analysis, the overall electron transfer number in the catalyzed ORR on 40%NiPc/C was found to be 2.8, suggesting the catalyzed ORR proceeds via both the 2e- transfer reduction and the 4e- transfer reduction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 1153-1158
Author(s):  
Natarajan Manivannan ◽  
Vijai Shankar Balachandran ◽  
V.S. Vasantha

Fuel cells are gaining importance in the emerging area of power generation. However, sluggishness of the cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and usage of expensive electrocatalysts are hindering its widespread application. Hence, an effort has been made in the present study to synthesize efficient electrocatalysts based on Pt-Mo alloys with varying atomic ratios (0-100 at. %) by thermal decomposition method. The synthesized samples were characterized using XRD, SEM, TEM and XPS techniques. The electrocatalytic activity for ORR was measured using cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode for all the samples and Pt-Mo (1:1) electrocatalyst performed better among the synthesized electrocatalysts with ORR current density of 63 mA/cm2 at an applied potential of 0.6 V vs. Hg/HgSO4. The present study suggests that Pt-Mo studied are proven to be a superior catalyst than a costly Pt catalyst with high ORR activity.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2 (6) ◽  
pp. 295-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. N. Singh ◽  
C. S. Sharma

Graphene-supported (40-x) wt% Pd x wt% Co (0≤x≤13.33) alloys/composites have been prepared by a microwave-assisted polyol reduction method and been investigated for their structural and electrocatalytic properties for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in 0.5 M H2SO4 at 298 K. The study demonstrated that the bimetallic Pd-Co composite nanoparticles are, in fact, alloy nanoparticles with fcc crystalline structure. Partial substitution of Pd by Co (from 3.64 to 13.33 wt%) in 40 wt% Pd/graphene decreases the lattice parameter as well as the crystallite size and increases the apparent catalytic activity, the latter, however, being the greatest with 8 wt% Co. The ORR activity of the active 32 wt% Pd 8wt% Co is found to be considerably low when it was deposited on the support multiwall carbon nanotubes under similar conditions. The rotating disk electrode study indicated that the ORR on 32 wt% Pd 8 wt% Co/GNS in 0.5 M H2SO4 follows approximately the four-electron pathway.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (13) ◽  
pp. 3858
Author(s):  
Monica Dan ◽  
Adriana Vulcu ◽  
Sebastian A. Porav ◽  
Cristian Leostean ◽  
Gheorghe Borodi ◽  
...  

Four N-doped graphene materials with a nitrogen content ranging from 8.34 to 13.1 wt.% are prepared by the ball milling method. This method represents an eco-friendly mechanochemical process that can be easily adapted for industrial-scale productivity and allows both the exfoliation of graphite and the synthesis of large quantities of functionalized graphene. These materials are characterized by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetry measurements, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy, and then, are tested towards the oxygen reduction reaction by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode methods. Their responses towards ORR are analysed in correlation with their properties and use for the best ORR catalyst identification. However, even though the mechanochemical procedure and the characterization techniques are clean and green methods (i.e., water is the only solvent used for these syntheses and investigations), they are time consuming and, generally, a low number of materials can be prepared, characterized and tested. In order to eliminate some of these limitations, the use of regression learner and reverse engineering methods are proposed for facilitating the optimization of the synthesis conditions and the materials’ design. Thus, the machine learning algorithms are applied to data containing the synthesis parameters, the results obtained from different characterization techniques and the materials response towards ORR to quickly provide predictions that allow the best synthesis conditions or the best electrocatalysts’ identification.


Author(s):  
A. Mary Remona ◽  
K. L. N. Phani

Carbon-supported platinum and Pt–Pd alloy electrocatalysts with different Pt/Pd atomic ratios were synthesized by a microemulsion method at room temperature (metal loading is 10 wt %). The Pt–Pd/C bimetallic catalysts showed a single-phase fcc structure and the mean particle size of Pt–Pd/C catalysts was found to be lower than that of Pt/C. The methanol-tolerant studies of the catalysts were carried out by activity evaluation of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) on Pt–Pd catalysts using a rotating disk electrode (RDE). The studies indicated that the order of methanol tolerance was found to be PtPd3/C>PtPd/C>Pt3Pd/C. The oxygen reduction activities of all Pt–Pd/C were considerably larger than that of Pt/C with respect to onset and overpotential values. The Pd-loaded catalysts shift the onset potential of ORR by 125 mVMSE, 53 mVMSE, and 41 mVMSE to less cathodic potentials for Pt3Pd/C, PtPd/C, and PtPd3/C, respectively, with reference to Pt/C and the Pt3Pd/C catalyst showed greater shift in the onset value than the other PtPd catalysts reported in literature. Moreover, the Pt–Pd/C catalysts exhibited much higher methanol tolerance during ORR than the Pt/C, assessing that these catalysts may function as a methanol-tolerant cathode catalysts in a direct methanol fuel cell.


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