Poly-o-toluidine cobalt supported on ordered mesoporous carbon as an efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction

Polymer-metal complex of poly-o-toluidine (POT) with cobalt supported on ordered mesoporous carbon (OMC) was prepared by the reaction of cobalt nitrite and POT in the presence of OMC. This new POT-Co-OMC composite was used as a cathode material for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The electroconductive polymer of the as-obtained composite provides active sites (Co-N), and in addition OMC has a high specific surface area for achieving high dispersion of POT-Co. This unique structure facilitates the reduction of oxygen via a four-electron pathway in alkaline conditions. The POT-Co-OMC catalyst also exhibits excellent anti-crossover effect to methanol oxidation in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), superior to the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Such a novel polymer-metal complex can provide a platform for a new generation of non-precious metal catalyst for fuel cell applications. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.