Ag nanoparticles on mesoporous carbon support as cathode catalyst for anion exchange membrane fuel cell

摘要

Silver nanocatalyst (40 wt%) is deposited on commercial mesoporous carbon support material (Ag/C) using two different wet chemical methods, to obtain high electrochemically active surface area. The catalyst materials are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and are evaluated toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media employing the rotating disk electrode method. It is worth noting that the Ag/C leads to oxygen reduction through a direct four-electron pathway in alkaline medium. The silver catalyst on mesoporous carbon exhibits relatively higher mass activity for ORR (38 A g-1) compared to that with Vulcan carbon (32 A g-1) at -0.2 V vs SCE at room temperature. Anion exchange membrane fuel cell shows maximum power density of 310 mW cm-2 with Ag/C cathode catalyst using H2 and O2 gases at 65% RH conditions at 65 degrees C. (c) 2022 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.