Strategies for High-Performance Non-Precious Metal Oxygen Reduction Reaction Catalysts

Abstract

The development of highly active, durable, and low-cost oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is central to making polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) commercially viable. In this context, tremendous recent efforts have been devoted to replacing expensive, scarce Pt-based electrocatalysts with non-precious metal or metal-free materials for the ORR. Among the classes of potential electrocatalysts, transition metal and heteroatom such as nitrogen co-doped carbon structures (M-N/C ; M=Fe and or Co) represent most promising catalytic activity, approaching that of Pt-based catalysts. During the last few years, our group has endeavored to develop high-performance M-N/C electrocatalysts for the ORR. In this presentation, design, preparation, and molecular-level characterization of new M-N/C catalysts and their implementation in PEFCs will be presented.