ZIF-8-Derived Dual Metal (Fe, Ni)-Nitrogen-Doped Porous Carbon for Superior ORR Performance in Universal Acid-Base Properties Solutions

Fe-N/C catalysts have currently comparable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity to Pt/C catalysts, which are up for consideration as the most promising non-precious metal material for research. In spite of this, its development and application are limited by the Fenton effect and insufficient stability. Herein, we have fabricated a FeNi-nitrogen-doped porous carbon (FeNi-NPC) catalyst using solvent thermal method, made from the bimetallic (Fe, Ni)-doped ZIF-8. A soft template of glucose was used to control the pore structure and active specific surface area of the catalyst. With the benefit of the electronic effect of the bimetal, FeNi-NPC catalysts exhibit superior ORR activity and stability to Pt/C catalysts in both acidic (E-1/2=0.8672 V) and alkaline (E-1/2=0.8663 V) conditions. FeNi-NPC demonstrated peak power densities in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) of up to 865 mW cm(-2), which exceeds the currently reported M-N/C catalysts. The work presented here will lead to the design of efficient ORR electrocatalysts in PEMFC devices.

Automated summary

Fe-N/C catalysts show comparable oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity to Pt/C catalysts, making them the most promising non-precious metal material for research. However, their development and application are limited by the Fenton effect and inadequate stability. In this study, FeNi-nitrogen-doped porous carbon (FeNi-NPC) catalysts were fabricated using a solvent thermal method, with glucose as a soft template to control the pore structure and active specific surface area. Due to the electronic effect of the bimetal, FeNi-NPC catalysts exhibit superior ORR activity and stability to Pt/C catalysts in both acidic and alkaline conditions. They also demonstrated higher peak power densities in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) compared to currently reported M-N/C catalysts. This work will contribute to the design of efficient ORR electrocatalysts in PEMFC devices.