A Pt-free cathode catalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells has been developed by multi-step pyrolysis of Fe phthalocyanine and phenolic resin and shows a quite promising fuel cell performance.

Iron-containing and iron-free 15 N labeled polyanilines were prepared as a precursor of N-doped carbon electrochemical oxygen reduction catalysts in polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) and were pyrolyzed at several different temperatures in a nitrogen atmosphere. The oxygen reduction reaction was evaluated by rotating disk electrode experiments, and XPS and 15 N solid-state NMR spectra of the samples were measured. The relationship between oxygen reduction activity and the chemical structure, combined with principal component analysis was discussed. Using principal component analysis of the XPS N1s spectra and 15 N solid-state NMR spectra, it is found that most pyridinic, graphitic, and pyrrolic nitrogen atoms which are similar part of nitrogen in all catalysts are not related to oxygen reduction reaction. However, the catalysts which contain a larger proportion of the particular type of pyridinic nitrogen atoms (FeN x ) instead of pyrrolic nitrogen atoms show a higher activity for the oxygen reduction reaction.

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