Fe3C decorated, N-doped porous carbon as cost-effective and efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

The catalytic activity, stability and methanol tolerance for alkali oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) of cathode are pivotal metrics determining the actual performance of methanol fuel-cell. Carbonaceous materials with heteroelement doping and guest catalytic component hybriding are promising ways to improve the above metrics for ORR and simultaneously reduce the cost, therefore hold bright prospect in the industrialization of fuel-cell. Herein, a Fe3C decorated, N doped hierarchically porous carbon, denoted as SP-N1-Z0.6/F0.5, was designed as cathodic ORR catalyst by pyrolytic carbonization, N-doping, Fe3C decoration and etching of a easily-available shaddock peel (SP) precursor. Benefitted by the synergy of N dopant and Fe3C hybriding, the typical SP-N1-Z0.6/F0.5 catalyst demonstrated ORR peak potential of 0.874 V and peak current density of −2.60 mA cm−2 for alkali ORR. In addition, the ORR catalytic activity hardly changed undergoes 5000 cycles of linear sweep voltammetries (LSVs), and fine methanol tolerance could also be ensured. All of these metrics are superior to the benchmark Pt/C catalyst, showing the potential of Fe3C incorporate and N doped carbonaceous catalyst in alkali ORR.