Electrospinning of Magnetite–Polyacrylonitrile Composites for the Production of Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts

Abstract

In this study, electrospun carbon fiber electrodes were prepared by the carbonization of PAN–Fe3O4 electrospun fibers at 800 °C for their use as catalysts in the oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline electrolyte. Magnetic nanofiber mats were fabricated using a needle-free electrospinning method by incorporating magnetic nanoparticles into a polymer solution. Electrochemical tests revealed that the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity is optimized at an intermediate magnetite loading of 30% wt. These catalysts not only show better performance compared to their counterparts but also achieve high selectivity to water at low potentials. The onset and half-wave potentials of 0.92 and 0.76 V shown by these samples are only slightly behind those of the commercial Pt 20%-carbon black ORR catalyst. The obtained results point out that the electrospinning of PAN-Fe3O4 solutions allows the preparation of advanced N-Fe ORR catalysts in fibrillar morphology.

Investigation of Hybrid Electrodes of Polyaniline and Reduced Graphene Oxide with Bio-Waste-Derived Activated Carbon for Supercapacitor Applications

“…The selection and design of electrode materials are fundamental in advancing the electrochemical properties of energy storage and conversion devices, influencing their efficiency, durability and overall effectiveness in various applications [9][10][11]. Moreover, the choice of electrode materials affects parameters such as the energy density, power density, cycle life and overall efficiency [12][13][14][15].…”