SYNERGISTIC ENHANCEMENT OF OXYGEN REDUCTION ACTIVITY OF CARBON CATALYSTS OBTAINED BY SIMULTANEOUS INCORPORATION OF IRON AND COPPER PHTHALOCYANINES TO A PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE RESIN

摘要

The development of inexpensive catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), replacing the expensive Pt catalysts, is a key technology for the wide diffusion of fuel cells. Nanoshell-containing carbons (NSCCs) are the carbon materials that have catalytic activity for ORR, which are produced by carbonizing polymers in the presences of transition metal species that can promote graphitization [1]. Cu is known to be a metallic element that promotes graphitization [2] and deposits graphene on its films or particles at certain deposition conditions [3]. The combined applications of Cu with Fe to the preparation of carbons have never examined yet. This paper reports a synergistic improvement of ORR activity of the carbons prepared from a phenol-formaldehyde resin by simultaneous incorporation of Cu and Fe phthalocyanines as well as the results of characterization of the prepared carbons. The importance of the newly found carbon phase will be stressed.