Advances in platinum-based and platinum-free oxygen reduction reaction catalysts for cathodes in direct methanol fuel cells

Abstract

Direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) have been the focus of future research because of their simple structure, abundant fuel sources, high energy conversion efficiency and low cost. Among the components in DMFC, the activity and stability of the cathode catalyst is the key to the performance and lifetime of the DMFCs. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an important electrode reaction on DMFC cathode. It is known that Pt is widely used in the fabrication of ORR catalysts, but the limited earth storage of Pt and its high price limit the use of Pt-based commercial catalysts in DMFCs. To overcome these problems, advances have been made on new low Pt-based catalysts and Pt-free catalysts in recent years. In this article, the development of novel ORR catalysts and the carbon supports is reviewed and discussed.

Review and Perspective of Nickel and Its Derived Catalysts for Different Electrochemical Synthesis Reactions in Alkaline Media for Hydrogen Production

“…The high overpotential of the MOR can lead to carbon monoxide catalyst poisoning, as well as the significant CH 3 OH crossover rate that hinders cathodic activity. 103,104 To tackle these problems, it is necessary to develop new electrocatalytic materials or explore alternative smaller alcohols as liquid fuels for fuel cells. 105,106 Among various fuels, ethanol also holds great promise for 107 but offers several other advantages such as its natural availability, easy storage, and nontoxicity.…”

“…In spite of several benefits of direct methanol fuel cells (DMFCs), there are some challenges that must be addressed. The high overpotential of the MOR can lead to carbon monoxide catalyst poisoning, as well as the significant CH 3 OH crossover rate that hinders cathodic activity. , To tackle these problems, it is necessary to develop new electrocatalytic materials or explore alternative smaller alcohols as liquid fuels for fuel cells. , Among various fuels, ethanol also holds great promise for practical applications. It not only possesses a higher energy density than CH 3 OH (8.27 kWh/kg), but offers several other advantages such as its natural availability, easy storage, and nontoxicity. , It can be derived from biomass or waste materials through fermentation .…”

Highly efficient tungsten/molybdenum-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction: a review

“…17–20 The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a key cathode reaction in fuel cells but with sluggish kinetics, thus it is critical to explore low-budget and high-performance ORR electrocatalysts. 21–24 Although Pt-based electrocatalysts have been used in some commercial applications as electrocatalysts, their disadvantages of prohibitive cost, scarce resources, and CO 25 and methanol poisoning greatly hinder the development of their large-scale commercial applications. 26–28 Therefore, it is essential to develop high performance ORR electrocatalysts.…”

Low-coordination M–N3 active sites with high accessibility and efficiency for electrocatalytic O2 and CO2 reduction

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8] The electrochemical reactions of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and carbon dioxide reduction (CO 2 RR) are effective ways towards carbon neutralization. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] At present, precious metal-based catalysts are highly efficient electrocatalysts to expedite the reaction kinetics and thus promote energy conversion efficiency, [16][17][18][19][20][21][22] but their shortage and high cost have seriously hindered the large-scale applications. Therefore, developing highly efficient nonprecious electrocatalysts is worthwhile for clean conversion technologies.…”