Ionic liquid-modified microporous ZnCoNC-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Min Wang; Huixin Zhang; Gnanavel Thirunavukkarasu; Ihtasham Salam; John R. Varcoe; Peter Mardle; Xiaoying Li; Shichun Mu; Shangfeng Du

doi:10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407

Ionic liquid-modified microporous ZnCoNC-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Min Wang, Huixin Zhang, Gnanavel Thirunavukkarasu, Ihtasham Salam, John R. Varcoe, Peter Mardle, Xiaoying Li, Shichun Mu, Shangfeng Du

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

192 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts have been widely reported, but their application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is challenging because of their poor performance in acidic environments. Here, [BMIM][NTf₂] ionic liquid (IL) modification of microporous ZnCoNC catalysts (derived from ZIF-ZnCo) is investigated to study their behavior in PEMFCs and to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms in practical operation. The high O₂ solubility of ILs enhances the utilization of active sites with porous ZnCoNC, and their hydrophobic nature facilitates the water transport during fuel cell operation. The half-cell measurement in aqueous HClO₄ shows that with the 20 wt % IL modification, the electron-transfer number increases from 2.58 to 3.88, approaching the desired 4-electron-transfer ORR. The power density obtained shows 140% improvement in single-cell PEMFC tests. The catalyst also yields an interesting performance in alkaline anion-exchange membrane fuel cells.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2104-2110
Number of pages	7
Journal	ACS Energy Letters
Volume	4
Early online date	8 Aug 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407
Publication status	Published - 13 Sept 2019

Keywords

polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)
proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)
anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC)
CoCN
ZnCoNC
non-PGM
non-platinum group metal
electrocatalyst
ionic liquid
microporous
cathode
durability
oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)

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10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407Licence: None: All rights reserved

Wang_et_al_Ionic_liquid_modified_microporous_ZnCoNC_based_electrocatalysts_ACS_Energy_Letters_2019
Checked for eligibility: 16/08/2019 This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in ACS Energy Letters, copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work see: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407
Accepted author manuscript, 3.13 MBLicence: Other (please specify with Rights Statement)

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407Licence: None: All rights reserved

2 Conference, workshop or symposium
1 Guest lecture or Invited talk

Electrode design for next generation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells
Shangfeng Du (Invited speaker)
25 Oct 2019
Activity: Academic and Industrial events › Guest lecture or Invited talk
Electrodes from Ionic Liquid Modified Microporous ZnCoNC Electrocatalysts For Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells
Shangfeng Du (Speaker)
30 Aug 2019
Activity: Academic and Industrial events › Conference, workshop or symposium
Electrochemical Engineering of PEM Fuel Cell Electrodes
Shangfeng Du (Keynote speaker)
4 Aug 2019
Activity: Academic and Industrial events › Conference, workshop or symposium

Cite this

@article{6aca138d305c46c8be068907feb69ee8,

title = "Ionic liquid-modified microporous ZnCoNC-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells",

abstract = "Non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts have been widely reported, but their application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is challenging because of their poor performance in acidic environments. Here, [BMIM][NTf2] ionic liquid (IL) modification of microporous ZnCoNC catalysts (derived from ZIF-ZnCo) is investigated to study their behavior in PEMFCs and to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms in practical operation. The high O2 solubility of ILs enhances the utilization of active sites with porous ZnCoNC, and their hydrophobic nature facilitates the water transport during fuel cell operation. The half-cell measurement in aqueous HClO4 shows that with the 20 wt % IL modification, the electron-transfer number increases from 2.58 to 3.88, approaching the desired 4-electron-transfer ORR. The power density obtained shows 140% improvement in single-cell PEMFC tests. The catalyst also yields an interesting performance in alkaline anion-exchange membrane fuel cells.",

keywords = "polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), CoCN, ZnCoNC, non-PGM, non-platinum group metal, electrocatalyst, ionic liquid, microporous, cathode, durability, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)",

author = "Min Wang and Huixin Zhang and Gnanavel Thirunavukkarasu and Ihtasham Salam and Varcoe, {John R.} and Peter Mardle and Xiaoying Li and Shichun Mu and Shangfeng Du",

year = "2019",

month = sep,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407",

language = "English",

volume = "4",

pages = "2104--2110",

journal = "ACS Energy Letters",

issn = "2380-8195",

publisher = "American Chemical Society",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Ionic liquid-modified microporous ZnCoNC-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

AU - Wang, Min

AU - Zhang, Huixin

AU - Thirunavukkarasu, Gnanavel

AU - Salam, Ihtasham

AU - Varcoe, John R.

AU - Mardle, Peter

AU - Li, Xiaoying

AU - Mu, Shichun

AU - Du, Shangfeng

PY - 2019/9/13

Y1 - 2019/9/13

N2 - Non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts have been widely reported, but their application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is challenging because of their poor performance in acidic environments. Here, [BMIM][NTf2] ionic liquid (IL) modification of microporous ZnCoNC catalysts (derived from ZIF-ZnCo) is investigated to study their behavior in PEMFCs and to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms in practical operation. The high O2 solubility of ILs enhances the utilization of active sites with porous ZnCoNC, and their hydrophobic nature facilitates the water transport during fuel cell operation. The half-cell measurement in aqueous HClO4 shows that with the 20 wt % IL modification, the electron-transfer number increases from 2.58 to 3.88, approaching the desired 4-electron-transfer ORR. The power density obtained shows 140% improvement in single-cell PEMFC tests. The catalyst also yields an interesting performance in alkaline anion-exchange membrane fuel cells.

AB - Non-platinum group metal (non-PGM) oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts have been widely reported, but their application in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is challenging because of their poor performance in acidic environments. Here, [BMIM][NTf2] ionic liquid (IL) modification of microporous ZnCoNC catalysts (derived from ZIF-ZnCo) is investigated to study their behavior in PEMFCs and to elucidate the catalytic mechanisms in practical operation. The high O2 solubility of ILs enhances the utilization of active sites with porous ZnCoNC, and their hydrophobic nature facilitates the water transport during fuel cell operation. The half-cell measurement in aqueous HClO4 shows that with the 20 wt % IL modification, the electron-transfer number increases from 2.58 to 3.88, approaching the desired 4-electron-transfer ORR. The power density obtained shows 140% improvement in single-cell PEMFC tests. The catalyst also yields an interesting performance in alkaline anion-exchange membrane fuel cells.

KW - polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC)

KW - proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

KW - anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC)

KW - CoCN

KW - ZnCoNC

KW - non-PGM

KW - non-platinum group metal

KW - electrocatalyst

KW - ionic liquid

KW - microporous

KW - cathode

KW - durability

KW - oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071380328&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407

DO - 10.1021/acsenergylett.9b01407

M3 - Article

SN - 2380-8195

VL - 4

SP - 2104

EP - 2110

JO - ACS Energy Letters

JF - ACS Energy Letters

ER -

Ionic liquid-modified microporous ZnCoNC-based electrocatalysts for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Abstract

Keywords

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Activities

Electrode design for next generation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Electrodes from Ionic Liquid Modified Microporous ZnCoNC Electrocatalysts For Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells

Electrochemical Engineering of PEM Fuel Cell Electrodes

Cite this