Manganese-Schiff base complex immobilized silica materials for electrocatalytic oxygen reduction

Abstract

Curtailment of platinum catalysts loading in fuel cell is a recent central issue. As substitutes, these days several organic metal chelate compounds having featured moieties of M-N2 or M-N2O2 (M = transition metal ion) are being used as cathode catalysts in fuel cells. Here, in this study, we report in detail the electrocatalytic activity of manganese-Schiff base complexes for oxygen reduction reaction in 0.05 M HClO2 at room temperature. Actually, [Mn(salen)]+: [N,N'-bis(salicylaldehyde) ethylenediimino manganese(III)]+ and [Mn(salophen)]+: [N,N'-bis(salicylaldehyde)-1,2-phenylenediimino manganese(III)]+ were introduced into/onto the MCM-41 type silica spheres and used for the electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen. Synthesized materials were characterized by UV-Vis, FT-IR and electrochemical techniques. Significant low overpotential for oxygen reduction in 0.05 M HClO4 on [Mn(salen)]+- and [Mn(salophen)]+-incorporated silica-modified glassy carbon electrodes was observed. © Indian Academy of Sciences.