Geoff Waterhouse, Yongfang Zhou and Jun-Xi Wu (University of Auckland) with collaborators (Wuhan University of Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Chinese Academy of Science)
The search for renewable energy solutions is becoming increasingly urgent in a world plagued by climate change and diminishing resources.
The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is an essential process in energy conversion devices like fuel cells and metal-air batteries. These devices are pivotal for sustainable energy solutions due to their low environmental impact and high efficiency.
Platinum-based catalysts provide superior ORR activity and stability, but they are scarce and expensive. The exploration of alternative electrocatalyst materials that are both cost-effective and provide exceptional ORR performance, is needed.
Recently, Fe-N-C catalysts have emerged as promising alternatives to platinum-based catalysts for the ORR.
The researchers designed a new porous Fe-N-C catalyst (Fe-N4 -C/Fe3C) that demonstrates outstanding ORR activity. The research team used both the Soft X-ray spectroscopy (SXR) and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) beamlines for part of this investigation.
The new Fe-N-C catalyst demonstrated outstanding performance. The catalyst’s performance was further validated through its application as a cathode material in a zinc-air battery. It exhibited exceptional operational stability and charging capacity, which underscores its potential for broader applications in energy conversion devices.
The cost-effectiveness and simplicity of the Fe-N-C catalyst are significant advantages for large-scale production and commercial deployment, which ultimately could lead to more efficient fuel cell and metal-air batteries for the transition to cleaner, more sustainable energy solutions.
Reference:
Wang Q, Lu RH, Yang YQ, Li XZ, Chen GB, Shang L, Peng LS, Sun-Waterhouse D, Cowie BCC, Meng XM, Zhao Y, Zhang TR, Waterhouse GIN. 2022. Tailoring the microenvironment in Fe–N–C electrocatalysts for optimal oxygen reduction reaction performance. Science Bulletin 67(12): 1264-1273. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095927322001803
