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N-Doped Porous Carbon from Sargassum spp. as Efficient Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for O 2 Reduction in Alkaline Fuel Cells

Author

Listed:
  • K. Y. Pérez-Salcedo

    (Unidad de Energía Renovable, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán 97302, Mexico)

  • Xuan Shi

    (Fuel Cell Laboratory, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212, USA)

  • Arunachala Mada Kannan

    (Fuel Cell Laboratory, Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ 85212, USA)

  • Romeli Barbosa

    (División de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad de Quintana Roo, Chetumal, Quintana Roo 77019, Mexico)

  • Patricia Quintana

    (Departamento de Física Aplicada, Cinvestav Unidad-Mérida, Mérida, Yucatán 97310, Mexico)

  • Beatriz Escobar

    (Unidad de Energía Renovable, Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Mérida, Yucatán 97302, Mexico)

Abstract

This work reports the synthesis of N-doped porous carbon (NPC) with a high surface area from Sargassum spp. as a low-cost alternative for electrocatalyst production for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Sargassum spp. was activated with potassium hydroxide at different temperatures (700, 750, and 800 °C) and then doped with pyridine (N700, N750, and N800). As a result of the activation process, the 800 °C sample showed a high surface area (2765 m 2 g −1 ) and good onset potential (0.870 V) and current density (4.87 mA cm −2 ). The ORR performance of the electrocatalysts in terms of their current density was N800 > N750 > N700 > 750 > 800 > 700, while the onset potential decreased in the following order: N800 > 800 > 750 > 700 > N700 > N750. The fuel cell performance of the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) prepared with electrocatalyst synthesized at 750 °C and doped with pyridine was 12.72 mW cm −2 , which was close to that from Pt/C MEA on both the anode and cathode (14.42 mW cm −2 ). These results indicate that NPCs are an alternative to the problem of Sargassum spp. accumulation in the Caribbean due to their high efficiency as electrocatalysts for ORR.

Suggested Citation

  • K. Y. Pérez-Salcedo & Xuan Shi & Arunachala Mada Kannan & Romeli Barbosa & Patricia Quintana & Beatriz Escobar, 2019. "N-Doped Porous Carbon from Sargassum spp. as Efficient Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for O 2 Reduction in Alkaline Fuel Cells," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:3:p:346-:d:200116
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