title: Spectroscopic studies of heat-treated FeNxCy/C involved in electrochemical oxygen reduction under acid media.
abstract: Carbon-incorporated FeNx electrocatalysts (FeNC/C-T) have been synthesized by carbonizing a nitrogen-containing specie and iron precursor on carbon blacks at various heat-treated temperatures. The catalyst properties (crystalline structure, surface chemical states, oxidation state and co-ordination geometry) and their formation scheme of FeNC/C-T have been thoroughly examined by X-ray based spectroscopies such as X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The electrochemical performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and methanol tolerance were also investigated by rotating disk electrode tests in 0.5M H2SO4. By combined results from XPS and XAS spectroscopies, the catalysts carbonized at 1073K possess higher surface Fe/C and N/C atomic ratios with formation of carbons incorporated FeN4 species were found to have the optimal electrocatalytic properties.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung 80778, Taiwan. Electronic address: shliu@kuas.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Shou-Heng
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung 80778, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jyun-Ren
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic / Q000737:chemistry*; D002384:Catalysis; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007700:Kinetics; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry*; D056951:Photoelectron Spectroscopy; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013464:Sulfuric Acids / Q000737:chemistry*; D056928:X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D017554:Carbon Compounds, Inorganic; D013464:Sulfuric Acids; C033158:sulfuric acid; D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Non-precious metal catalysts; Oxygen reduction reaction; X-ray absorption spectroscopy; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy