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Ta–TiOx nanoparticles as radical scavengers to improve the durability of Fe–N–C oxygen reduction catalysts

Author

Listed:
  • Hua Xie

    (University of Maryland)

  • Xiaohong Xie

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

  • Guoxiang Hu

    (Queens College of the City University of New York)

  • Venkateshkumar Prabhakaran

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

  • Sulay Saha

    (Washington University in St. Louis)

  • Lorelis Gonzalez-Lopez

    (University of Maryland)

  • Abhijit H. Phakatkar

    (University of Illinois at Chicago)

  • Min Hong

    (University of Maryland)

  • Meiling Wu

    (University of Maryland)

  • Reza Shahbazian-Yassar

    (University of Illinois at Chicago)

  • Vijay Ramani

    (Washington University in St. Louis)

  • Mohamad I. Al-Sheikhly

    (University of Maryland)

  • De-en Jiang

    (University of California)

  • Yuyan Shao

    (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)

  • Liangbing Hu

    (University of Maryland)

Abstract

Highly active and durable platinum group metal-free catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction, such as Fe–N–C materials, are needed to lower the cost of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells. However, their durability is impaired by the attack of oxidizing radicals such as ·OH and HO2· that form from incomplete reduction of O2 via H2O2. Here we demonstrate that Ta–TiOx nanoparticle additives protect Fe–N–C catalysts from such degradation via radical scavenging. The 5 nm Ta–TiOx nanoparticles were uniformly synthesized on a Ketjenblack substrate using a high-temperature pulse technique, forming the rutile TaO2 phase. We found that Ta–TiOx nanoparticles suppressed the H2O2 yield by 51% at 0.7 V in an aqueous rotating ring disk electrode test. After an accelerated durability test, a fuel cell prepared with the scavengers showed a current density decay of 3% at 0.9 ViR-free (internal resistance-compensated voltage); a fuel cell without scavengers showed 33% decay. Thus, addition of Ta–TiOx provides an active defence strategy to improve the durability of oxygen reduction reaction catalysts.

Suggested Citation

  • Hua Xie & Xiaohong Xie & Guoxiang Hu & Venkateshkumar Prabhakaran & Sulay Saha & Lorelis Gonzalez-Lopez & Abhijit H. Phakatkar & Min Hong & Meiling Wu & Reza Shahbazian-Yassar & Vijay Ramani & Mohamad, 2022. "Ta–TiOx nanoparticles as radical scavengers to improve the durability of Fe–N–C oxygen reduction catalysts," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 7(3), pages 281-289, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:7:y:2022:i:3:d:10.1038_s41560-022-00988-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-022-00988-w
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    Cited by:

    1. Jingsen Bai & Tuo Zhao & Mingjun Xu & Bingbao Mei & Liting Yang & Zhaoping Shi & Siyuan Zhu & Ying Wang & Zheng Jiang & Jin Zhao & Junjie Ge & Meiling Xiao & Changpeng Liu & Wei Xing, 2024. "Monosymmetric Fe-N4 sites enabling durable proton exchange membrane fuel cell cathode by chemical vapor modification," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.

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