High-performing commercial Fe–N–C cathode electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells

Horie Adabi; Abolfazl Shakouri; Noor Ul Hassan; John R. Varcoe; Barr Zulevi; Alexey Serov; John R. Regalbuto; William E. Mustain

doi:10.1038/s41560-021-00878-7

High-performing commercial Fe–N–C cathode electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells

Horie Adabi, Abolfazl Shakouri, Noor Ul Hassan, John R. Varcoe, Barr Zulevi, Alexey Serov, John R. Regalbuto, William E. Mustain

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

275 Scopus citations

Abstract

To reduce the cost of fuel cell stacks and systems, it is important to create commercial catalysts that are free of platinum group metals (PGMs). To do this, such catalysts must have very high activity, but also have the correct microstructure to facilitate the transport of reactants and products. Here, we show a high-performing commercial oxygen reduction catalyst that was specifically developed for operation in alkaline media and is demonstrated in the cathode of operating anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). With H₂/O₂ reacting gases, AEMFCs made with Fe–N–C cathodes achieved a peak power density exceeding 2 W cm⁻² (>1 W cm⁻² with H₂/air) and operated with very good voltage durability for more than 150 h. These AEMFCs also realized an iR-corrected current density at 0.9 V of 100 mA cm⁻². Finally, in a second configuration, Fe–N–C cathodes paired with low-loading PtRu/C anodes (0.125 mg PtRu per cm², 0.08 mg Pt per cm²) demonstrated a specific power of 10.4 W per mg PGM (16.25 W per mg Pt).

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	834-843
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Energy
Volume	6
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41560-021-00878-7
State	Published - Aug 2021
Externally published	Yes

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technologies Office (HFTO; award no. DE-EE0008433 to H.A. and W.E.M., and award no. DE-EE0008419 to A.Serov and B.Z.). J.R.V. gratefully acknowledges the support of the UK EPSRC (grant no. EP/M014371/1) for the polymer synthesis. J.R.R. also acknowledges the support of the Center of Catalysis for Renewable Fuels (CReF).

Funders	Funder number
CReF
Center of Catalysis for Renewable Fuels
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Technologies Office	DE-EE0008433, DE-EE0008419
US Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council	EP/M014371/1

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41560-021-00878-7

Cite this

@article{8b1089db6a0c411c8910f263457ee3df,

title = "High-performing commercial Fe–N–C cathode electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells",

abstract = "To reduce the cost of fuel cell stacks and systems, it is important to create commercial catalysts that are free of platinum group metals (PGMs). To do this, such catalysts must have very high activity, but also have the correct microstructure to facilitate the transport of reactants and products. Here, we show a high-performing commercial oxygen reduction catalyst that was specifically developed for operation in alkaline media and is demonstrated in the cathode of operating anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). With H2/O2 reacting gases, AEMFCs made with Fe–N–C cathodes achieved a peak power density exceeding 2 W cm−2 (>1 W cm−2 with H2/air) and operated with very good voltage durability for more than 150 h. These AEMFCs also realized an iR-corrected current density at 0.9 V of 100 mA cm−2. Finally, in a second configuration, Fe–N–C cathodes paired with low-loading PtRu/C anodes (0.125 mg PtRu per cm2, 0.08 mg Pt per cm2) demonstrated a specific power of 10.4 W per mg PGM (16.25 W per mg Pt).",

author = "Horie Adabi and Abolfazl Shakouri and {Ul Hassan}, Noor and Varcoe, {John R.} and Barr Zulevi and Alexey Serov and Regalbuto, {John R.} and Mustain, {William E.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.",

year = "2021",

month = aug,

doi = "10.1038/s41560-021-00878-7",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "834--843",

journal = "Nature Energy",

issn = "2058-7546",

publisher = "Nature Research",

number = "8",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - High-performing commercial Fe–N–C cathode electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells

AU - Adabi, Horie

AU - Shakouri, Abolfazl

AU - Ul Hassan, Noor

AU - Varcoe, John R.

AU - Zulevi, Barr

AU - Serov, Alexey

AU - Regalbuto, John R.

AU - Mustain, William E.

PY - 2021/8

Y1 - 2021/8

N2 - To reduce the cost of fuel cell stacks and systems, it is important to create commercial catalysts that are free of platinum group metals (PGMs). To do this, such catalysts must have very high activity, but also have the correct microstructure to facilitate the transport of reactants and products. Here, we show a high-performing commercial oxygen reduction catalyst that was specifically developed for operation in alkaline media and is demonstrated in the cathode of operating anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). With H2/O2 reacting gases, AEMFCs made with Fe–N–C cathodes achieved a peak power density exceeding 2 W cm−2 (>1 W cm−2 with H2/air) and operated with very good voltage durability for more than 150 h. These AEMFCs also realized an iR-corrected current density at 0.9 V of 100 mA cm−2. Finally, in a second configuration, Fe–N–C cathodes paired with low-loading PtRu/C anodes (0.125 mg PtRu per cm2, 0.08 mg Pt per cm2) demonstrated a specific power of 10.4 W per mg PGM (16.25 W per mg Pt).

AB - To reduce the cost of fuel cell stacks and systems, it is important to create commercial catalysts that are free of platinum group metals (PGMs). To do this, such catalysts must have very high activity, but also have the correct microstructure to facilitate the transport of reactants and products. Here, we show a high-performing commercial oxygen reduction catalyst that was specifically developed for operation in alkaline media and is demonstrated in the cathode of operating anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). With H2/O2 reacting gases, AEMFCs made with Fe–N–C cathodes achieved a peak power density exceeding 2 W cm−2 (>1 W cm−2 with H2/air) and operated with very good voltage durability for more than 150 h. These AEMFCs also realized an iR-corrected current density at 0.9 V of 100 mA cm−2. Finally, in a second configuration, Fe–N–C cathodes paired with low-loading PtRu/C anodes (0.125 mg PtRu per cm2, 0.08 mg Pt per cm2) demonstrated a specific power of 10.4 W per mg PGM (16.25 W per mg Pt).

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85111918548&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41560-021-00878-7

DO - 10.1038/s41560-021-00878-7

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85111918548

SN - 2058-7546

VL - 6

SP - 834

EP - 843

JO - Nature Energy

JF - Nature Energy

IS - 8

ER -

High-performing commercial Fe–N–C cathode electrocatalyst for anion-exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Funding

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this