A facile synthetic strategy for iron, aniline-based non-precious metal catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.

The development of a low cost and highly active alternative to the commercial Pt/C catalysts used in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) requires a facile and environmentally-friendly synthesis process to facilitate large-scale production and provide an effective replacement. Transition metals, in conjunction with nitrogen-doped carbon, are among the most promising substitute catalysts because of their high activity, inexpensive composition, and high carbon monoxide tolerance. We prepared a polyaniline-derived Fe-N-C catalyst for oxygen reduction using a facile one-pot process with no additional reagents. This process was carried out by ultrasonicating a mixture containing an iron precursor, an aniline monomer, and carbon black. The half-wave potential of the synthesized Fe-N-C catalyst for the ORR was only 10 mV less than that of a commercial Pt/C catalyst. The optimized Fe-N-C catalyst showed outstanding performance in a practical anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC), suggesting its potential as an alternative to commercial Pt/C catalysts for the ORR.