Investigation of M-N-C (M=Fe,Co) catalysts prepared with the TPTZ molecule for the oxygen reduction reaction in PEMFC fuel cells

• Grant number: 22/05016-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Edson Antonio Ticianelli
• Grantee: Wesley Gabriel Souza
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 19/22183-6 - Electrocatalysis VI: fundamental and applied aspects of emerging and classical problems in electrochemical energy conversion, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project is associated with the study of the activity of electrocatalysts that compose the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). The development of the oxygen cathode of such system, where the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) takes place, is also of large interest because its applications in metal/air batteries and in the chlor-alkali industry. In conventional PEMFC systems, the most used catalytic materialto promote the ORR is formed by Pt dispersed on carbon, but for reasons of cost and availability, many other Pt substitute catalysts are being investigated. Recently, the use of transition metals coordinated with nitrogen and carbon (M-N-C, where M is a transition metal) has often been considered for this reaction. In this context, the studies to be developed in this work comprise: (i) the evaluation of the electrocatalytic activityof M-N-C catalysts (M = Fe and Co) for ORR at various temperatures, in PEMFC fuel cells formed with Aquivion ® membranes with different properties as electrolyte; (iii) characterization of the electrochemical stability and durability of the catalysts in this system, after being submitted to electrochemical tests under different conditions.