Abstract
(Graph Presented) A novel catalyst, Co-PPy-TsOH/C, for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) was prepared by pyrolyzing cobalt salt and p-toluenesulfonic acid (TsOH)-doped polypyrrole-modified carbon support in an inert atmosphere. The characteristics and electrocatalytic activities of Co-PPy-TsOH/C were analyzed with various techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis, rotating ring disk electrode analysis, and a single H2-O2 PEMFC, and compared with those of undoped catalyst Co-PPy/C. The results showed that doping TsOH introduces larger N and S contents in Co-PPy-TsOH/C, leading to much better electrocatalytic performance for ORR than Co-PPy/C, and that Co-PPy-TsOH/C is more likely to follow a four-electron-transfer reaction to reduce oxygen directly to H2O. The performance of PEMFCs with Co-PPy-TsOH/C as cathode catalyst is better than that with Co-PPy/C, and the resulting maximum output power density of 203 mW cm-2 is a substantial improvement over the best values reported in the literature with Co-PPy/C-based cathode catalyst. This implies that doping TsOH is a valuable method to improve the catalytic activity of Co-PPy/C and that Co-PPy-TsOH/C is a promising cathode catalyst for PEMFCs. The function and mechanism of doping have also been analyzed and the configurations of PPy-TsOH/C and Co-PPy-TsOH/C proposed.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1754-1755 |
Number of pages | 2 |
Journal | Journal of the American Chemical Society |
Volume | 132 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2010 |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Catalysis
- General Chemistry
- Biochemistry
- Colloid and Surface Chemistry