Non-noble electrocatalysts supported on carbon nano-networks for oxygen reduction reaction

An iron-nitrogen-containing non-noble metal electrocatalyst, supported on interconnected graphitic structures (CNNs), was synthetized using a wet-impregnation method. The CNNs support was produced in-house by Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) of ethene over cobalt nanoparticles that were synthetized in dense microemulsions. The electrocatalyst was characterized by TGA, BET, XPS, EDX, and TEM. Additionally, it was tested at the cathode of a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) and a direct methanol (DM) fuel cell (FC) in single-cell experiments showing a performance that was comparable to state-of-the-art non-noble electrocatalysts. Additionally, a discrete tolerance to methanol was observed. The relatively simple synthesis procedure and the cheap precursor materials of catalyst support and electrocatalyst make this a promising material for low temperature fuel cell applications.