Ammonia-treated brown coal and its activity for oxygen reduction reaction in polymer electrolyte fuel cell

• Published in: Fuel (Guildford) Vol. 97; pp. 211 - 218
• Main Authors: Muraoka, Mitsuyoshi, Tomonaga, Hiroyuki, Nagai, Masatoshi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adsorption; Applied sciences; Australian brown coal; Brown coal; Catalysts; Coal; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Equipments for energy generation and conversion: thermal, electrical, mechanical energy, etc; Exact sciences and technology; Fuel cells; Fuels; Iron; Lignite; Nitrogen doping; Non-noble cathode catalyst; Oxygen reduction reaction; Polymer electrolyte fuel cell; Reduction (electrolytic); Surface chemistry; Australia; Oceania; Australian brown coal; Nitrogen doping; Non-noble cathode catalyst; Oxygen reduction reaction; Polymer electrolyte fuel cell; Measurement; Monolayer; Polymer electrolytes; Micropore; Cathode; X ray spectrometry; Iron; Ammonia; Lignite; Pyridine; Adsorption; Coal; Photoelectron spectrometry; Raman spectrometry; Aqueous solution; Surface area; Catalyst; Fuel cell
• ISSN: 0016-2361; 1873-7153
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2012.03.001

[Display omitted] ► Australia brown coal utilized as a non-precious metal catalyst. ► High activity of 1073K, NH3-treated coal for the oxygen reduction reaction in PEFC. ► Active structure was discussed based on the XPS, Raman, N2 adsorption and iron effect. ► Related to the pyridine-N species, microporosity and degree of disordered carbons. Coal has been utilized as a nonprecious metal catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The Australia brown coal was nitrogen-doped at 673–1123K in a stream of NH3. The raw and NH3-treated Australia brown coals were characterized on the basis of their N2 adsorption, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The nitrogen doping of the coal at 1073K increased the BET surface area from 10 to 671m2/g having 95% slit-shaped micropores with a type I monolayer adsorption. The nitrogen-doped coal at 1073K exhibited the highest potential of 0.85V vs. RHE (at −0.005mA/cm2), which was evaluated by three-electrode electrochemical measurements using a rotating ring disk electrode in a 0.5M H2SO4 aqueous solution. The ORR activity of the nitrogen-doped coal was related to the pyridine-N species, microporosity and degree of disordered carbons in the coal. The iron addition to the coal from 10 to 103ppm increased the ORR onset potential. The active structure of the coal-derived catalyst was discussed based on the results of the XPS, Raman, N2 adsorption and iron effect.