Muhammad Rauf

Phenylenediamine-Based FeNx/C Catalyst with High Activity for Oxygen Reduction in Acid Medium and Its Active-Site Probing

High-temperature pyrolyzed FeN(x)/C catalyst is one of the most promising nonprecious metal electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). However, it suffers from two challenging problems: insufficient ORR activity and unclear active site structure. Herein, we report a FeN(x)/C catalyst derived from poly-m-phenylenediamine (PmPDA-FeN(x)/C) that possesses high ORR activity (11.5 A g(-1) at 0.80 V vs RHE) and low H2O2 yield (<1%) in acid medium. The PmPDA-FeN(x)/C also exhibits high catalytic activity for both reduction and oxidation of H2O2. We further find that the ORR activity of PmPDA-FeN(x)/C is not sensitive to CO and NO(x) but can be suppressed significantly by halide ions (e.g., Cl(-), F(-), and Br(-)) and low valence state sulfur-containing species (e.g., SCN(-), SO2, and H2S). This result reveals that the active sites of the FeN(x)/C catalyst contains Fe element (mainly as Fe(III) at high potentials) in acid medium.

S‐Doping of an Fe/N/C ORR Catalyst for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells with High Power Density

Fe/N/C is a promising non-Pt electrocatalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), but its catalytic activity is considerably inferior to that of Pt in acidic medium, the environment of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). An improved Fe/N/C catalyst (denoted as Fe/N/C-SCN) derived from Fe(SCN)3, poly-m-phenylenediamine, and carbon black is presented. The advantage of using Fe(SCN)3 as iron source is that the obtained catalyst has a high level of S doping and high surface area, and thus exhibits excellent ORR activity (23 A g(-1) at 0.80 V) in 0.1 M H2SO4 solution. When the Fe/N/C-SCN was applied in a PEMFC as cathode catalyst, the maximal power density could exceed 1 W cm(-2).

Constructing canopy-shaped molecular architectures to create local Pt surface sites with high tolerance to H2S and CO for hydrogen electrooxidation

Rational design and construction of the local environment of active sites on noble metal surfaces is a promising, but challenging, approach for developing high-selectivity catalysts. This study presents an effective approach, via engineering local active sites, aiming to solve the critical problem of H2S and CO poisoning of Pt catalysts for H2 electrooxidation, the anode reaction of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. A canopy-shaped molecular architecture was constructed by immobilizing an organic molecule, 2,6-diacetylpyridine (DAcPy), on Pt surface, which exhibits high H2S (1 ppm) and CO (100 ppm) tolerance. Through electrochemical, spectroscopic, and DFT studies, as well as comparative investigation of analogous structure molecules, it was revealed that DAcPy can be strongly adsorbed on Pt surface through tridentate coordination (two Pt–C and one Pt–N bonds), allowing it to compete with CO and H2S adsorption. The pyridine ring of DAcPy is in a tilted orientation, providing some protection underneath the ring for Pt atoms. Such a height-limited space is just accessible for small-sized H2, but not for relatively large H2S and CO. This study demonstrates that regulating steric hindrance to protect active sites is a promising approach for designing highly selective electrocatalysts.