Recent trends on the application of PGM-free catalysts at the cathode of anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Osmieri, Luigi; Pezzolato, Lorenzo; Specchia, Stefania

doi:10.1016/j.coelec.2018.05.011

Title: Recent trends on the application of PGM-free catalysts at the cathode of anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Abstract

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are becoming more and more attractive due to their alkaline environment, being less aggressive and favorable to the use of low-cost materials. Furthermore, the alkaline medium displays enhanced alcohol oxidation reaction kinetics, which favors the use of fuels different from hydrogen, ranging from alcohols to polyols, and enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics. This allows the use of non-noble transition metals to synthesize cathodic catalysts, avoiding the costly platinum-group metals (PGM). In particular, the most active catalysts developed so far are mostly synthesized by sacrificial support method, which allows the fine tuning of the morphology, favoring oxygen transport, water removal, density of Fe-Nx active sites, and thus an enhanced electrochemical ORR activity. This mini-review analyzes the best AEMFCs cell performance achieved so far in recent years when PGM-free catalysts based on Me-N-C (Me = Fe, Co) are used for ORR at the cathode side, for AEMFCs fed with hydrogen, methanol, and ethanol.

Authors:

^[1]; Pezzolato, Lorenzo ^[2];

^[2]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Politecnico di Torino (Italy)
Politecnico di Torino (Italy)

Publication Date:: 2018-05-19

Research Org.:: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

OSTI Identifier:: 1461369

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5900-71988
Journal ID: ISSN 2451-9103

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

Resource Type:: Accepted Manuscript

Journal Name:: Current Opinion in Electrochemistry

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 9; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 2451-9103

Publisher:: Elsevier

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; anion exchange membrane fuel cells; AEMFC; fuel cell performance; catalysts

Citation Formats


                    Osmieri, Luigi, Pezzolato, Lorenzo, and Specchia, Stefania. Recent trends on the application of PGM-free catalysts at the cathode of anion exchange membrane fuel cells.  United States: N. p., 2018. 
Web.  doi:10.1016/j.coelec.2018.05.011.

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                    Osmieri, Luigi, Pezzolato, Lorenzo, & Specchia, Stefania. Recent trends on the application of PGM-free catalysts at the cathode of anion exchange membrane fuel cells.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coelec.2018.05.011

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                    Osmieri, Luigi, Pezzolato, Lorenzo, and Specchia, Stefania. Sat .  
"Recent trends on the application of PGM-free catalysts at the cathode of anion exchange membrane fuel cells".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coelec.2018.05.011.  https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1461369.

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@article{osti_1461369,

  title        = {Recent trends on the application of PGM-free catalysts at the cathode of anion exchange membrane fuel cells},

  author       = {Osmieri, Luigi and Pezzolato, Lorenzo and Specchia, Stefania},

  abstractNote = {Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are becoming more and more attractive due to their alkaline environment, being less aggressive and favorable to the use of low-cost materials. Furthermore, the alkaline medium displays enhanced alcohol oxidation reaction kinetics, which favors the use of fuels different from hydrogen, ranging from alcohols to polyols, and enhanced oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics. This allows the use of non-noble transition metals to synthesize cathodic catalysts, avoiding the costly platinum-group metals (PGM). In particular, the most active catalysts developed so far are mostly synthesized by sacrificial support method, which allows the fine tuning of the morphology, favoring oxygen transport, water removal, density of Fe-Nx active sites, and thus an enhanced electrochemical ORR activity. This mini-review analyzes the best AEMFCs cell performance achieved so far in recent years when PGM-free catalysts based on Me-N-C (Me = Fe, Co) are used for ORR at the cathode side, for AEMFCs fed with hydrogen, methanol, and ethanol.},

  doi          = {10.1016/j.coelec.2018.05.011},

  journal      = {Current Opinion in Electrochemistry},

  number       = C,

  volume       = 9,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {2018},

  month        = {5}

}

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Cited by: 17 works

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Figures / Tables:

Figure 1: (a)Scheme of an AEMFC fed with hydrogen (FF: flow-field; GDL: gas diffusion layer; CL: catalytic layer; AEM: anion exchange membrane). (b) The three transport mechanisms of OH^– and H₂O in AEMs.

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Table 2 (continued) (p. 6)

Table 2 (continued) (p. 8)

Table 2 (continued) (p. 10)

Figure 3 (p. 12)

Figure 4 (p. 13)

Scheme 1 (p. 14)

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