Platinum-free electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reaction: Fe-Nx modified mesoporous carbon prepared from biosources

Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Investigations of FeN4‐Based Macrocyclic Molecules Adsorbed on Au(111) and Their Implications in the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

“…Hence, there is a need of Non-Precious Metal Catalysts (NPMCs) as alternative materials to platinum and it had been demon-strated that metal atoms coordinated by nitrogen groups supported on mesoporous carbon matrixes [3] show a catalytic activity similar to the most performing Pt-based catalysts. [4] Metals can be coordinated by 2 to 4 nitrogen atoms and notwithstanding many investigations are currently ongoing on metal-nitrogen-mesoporous carbon catalysts, [5] there still exists a general lack of information about the main factors governing the ORR electrocatalysis promoted by MN x sites. Gathering information about the reaction mechanism is essential for the employment of the final catalysts.…”

Mesoporous Carbon with Different Density of Thiophenic‐Like Functional Groups and Their Effect on Oxygen Reduction

“…Therefore, if a vehicle needs a nominal power of 80 kW, the required Pt loading accounts for 18 % of the total cost of the stack, considering an annual production rate of 1000 pieces . At present, alternative platinum‐free catalysts such as iron–nitrogen materials show lower activity and stability than platinum . Therefore, huge efforts are oriented to improve the Pt catalyst performance, so as to reduce its loading, for example, by tailoring the sizes and shapes of the metal nanoparticles to enhance the exposed active sites, or by the development of different types of Pt alloys with transition metals .…”

“…[6] At present, alternative platinum-free catalysts such as iron-nitrogenm aterials show lower activity ands tabilityt han platinum. [7] Therefore, huge efforts are oriented to improve the Pt catalyst performance, so as to reduce its loading, for example, by tailoring the sizes and shapes of the metal nanoparticles to enhance the exposed active sites, [8] or by the development of different typeso fP t alloys with transition metals. [9] These alternative ways rely on the interaction between the metal NPs and the support, for which the extent of the interaction depends on the type, structure, and composition of the support.…”

Nitrogen‐Doped Mesoporous Carbon Electrodes Prepared from Templating Propylamine‐Functionalized Silica

“…All the spectra were normalized to the maximum of the G band. The presence of defects, the quantification of the amorphous carbon and the dimension of the crystallite domains can be determined by the deconvolution and by the elaboration of the experimental spectra . All the spectra were deconvoluted with four components D1, D3, D4 and G at ∼1340 cm −1 , ∼1500 cm −1 , ∼1200 cm −1 and ∼1600 cm −1 , respectively.…”

“…Mesoporous Carbons (MCs) are materials with pore size distribution in the range 2–50 nm. They are ubiquitously employed in catalysis, in separation technology and because of their good conductivity, combined with mechanical, chemical and electro‐ chemical stability, they are widely used in electrocatalysis as well as in energy storage systems, like supercapacitors …”