title: Iron-based cathode catalyst with enhanced power density in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.
abstract: H(2)-air polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells are electrochemical power generators with potential vehicle propulsion applications. To help reduce their cost and encourage widespread use, research has focused on replacing the expensive Pt-based electrocatalysts in polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells with a lower-cost alternative. Fe-based cathode catalysts are promising contenders, but their power density has been low compared with Pt-based cathodes, largely due to poor mass-transport properties. Here we report an iron-acetate/phenanthroline/zeolitic-imidazolate-framework-derived electrocatalyst with increased volumetric activity and enhanced mass-transport properties. The zeolitic-imidazolate-framework serves as a microporous host for phenanthroline and ferrous acetate to form a catalyst precursor that is subsequently heat treated. A cathode made with the best electrocatalyst from this work, tested in H(2)-O(2,) has a power density of 0.75 W cm(-2) at 0.6 V, a meaningful voltage for polymer-electrolyte-membrane fuel cells operation, comparable with that of a commercial Pt-based cathode tested under identical conditions.
authors.affiliation: Institut national de la recherche scientifique, Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, Varennes, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Proietti
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jaouen
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lefèvre
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Larouche
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Herranz
authors.forename: Jean-Pol
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Dodelet
mesh_terms: D001674:Bioelectric Energy Sources / Q000191:economics; D002384:Catalysis; D004566:Electrodes / Q000191:economics; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000191:economics; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004573:Electrolytes; D011108:Polymers; D007501:Iron