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Study of pyrolyzed hemin/C as non-platinum cathodic catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells

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Abstract

Biological reduction of O2 to H2O justifies a serious look at heme as a potential O2 reduction reaction (ORR) catalyst for low temperature fuel cells. In this study, a novel non-platinum electrocatalyst for ORR was prepared through hemin, which is hydrochloride of heme, supported on Black Pearls 2000 carbon black (Hm-BP) pyrolyzed at 700–900 °C in Ar atmosphere. The physical and electrocatalytic properties of as-prepared catalysts were characterized by TGA, XRD, XPS, TEM, rotating disk electrode (RDE) and rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE). It has found that the catalyst treated at 750 °C (Hm-BP-750) exhibits the best property among the Hm-BP catalysts prepared. The onset potential of ORR on the Hm-BP-750 at 30 °C was measured ca. 0.90 V (vs. RHE) in 0.1 M H2SO4, and mass current density was reached 15.3 mA mg−1 at 0.75 V. It has revealed that O2 could be reduced directly to water in a 4e process between 0.9 and 0.83V, and the yield of H2O2 was 0–18% in the potential range of 0.83–0.63 V. This methanol-tolerant catalyst also presents excellent stability in medium-term test of direct methanol fuel cell at 80 °C.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces; Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361005, China

    Qiang Wang, ZhiYou Zhou, DeJun Chen, JianLong Lin, FuSheng Ke, GuiLiang Xu & ShiGang Sun

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  1. Qiang Wang
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  2. ZhiYou Zhou
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  3. DeJun Chen
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  4. JianLong Lin
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  7. ShiGang Sun
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Correspondence to ZhiYou Zhou or ShiGang Sun.

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Wang, Q., Zhou, Z., Chen, D. et al. Study of pyrolyzed hemin/C as non-platinum cathodic catalyst for direct methanol fuel cells. Sci. China Chem. 53, 2057–2062 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-010-4084-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11426-010-4084-y

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