Transition Metal-Containing Nitrogen-Doped Nanocarbons Derived from 5-Methylresorcinol for Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Application

摘要

Development of novel energy conversion and storage technologies is highly relevant for the future renewable energy-based economy. Low-temperature polymer electrolyte fuel cells are clean and efficient devices, but their commercialization is hindered by high cost and scarcity of Pt-based cathode catalysts for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Among the various non-precious metal catalysts that have been intensively explored through the last decades, transition metal-containing nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials have shown the most promising results. One of the most common and simple strategies to prepare these catalysts is high-temperature pyrolysis of organic carbon precursors in the presence of nitrogen and metal sources, where carbonization and N-doping occur simultaneously.