Electroreduction of oxygen in polymer electrolyte fuel cells by activated carbon coated cobalt nanocrystallites produced by electric arc discharge

摘要

Carbon-coated fcc cobalt nanocrystallites produced by the carbon are method have practically no activity as catalysts for O_2 reduction in H_2/O_2 polymer electrolyte fuel cells. This material, containing 17.0 wt/100 Co, was activated by a pyrolysis step at 1000 deg C in Ar containing acetonitrile vapor. When it was used at the cathode of a single fuel cell element, it provided an initial current of 0.10 A/cm~2 mg of Co at 0.5 V and 50 deg C.