New insight into effect of potential on degradation of Fe-N-C catalyst for ORR

Abstract

In recent years, Fe-N-C catalyst is particularly attractive due to its high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and low cost for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, the durability problems still pose challenge to the application of Fe-N-C catalyst. Although considerable work has been done to investigate the degradation mechanisms of Fe-N-C catalyst, most of them are simply focused on the active-site decay, the carbon oxidation, and the demetalation problems. In fact, the 2e⁻ pathway in the ORR process of Fe-N-C catalyst would result in the formation of H₂O₂, which is proved to be a key degradation source. In this paper, a new insight into the effect of potential on degradation of Fe-N-C catalyst was provided by quantifying the H₂O₂ intermediate. In this case, stability tests were conducted by the potential-static method in O₂ saturated 0.1 mol/L HClO₄. During the tests, H₂O₂ was quantified by rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE). The results show that compared with the loading voltage of 0.4 V, 0.8 V, and 1.0 V, the catalysts being kept at 0.6 V exhibit a highest H₂O₂ yield. It is found that it is the combined effect of electrochemical oxidation and chemical oxidation (by aggressive radicals like H₂O₂/radicals) that triggered the highest H₂O₂ release rate, with the latter as the major cause.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) / oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) / Fe-N-C catalyst / potential / H₂O₂ / degradation

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Thirteenth National Key Point Research and Invention Program (No. 016YFB0101302).

Electronic Supplementary Material

ƒSupplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11708-021-0727-2 and is accessible for authorized users.

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