Fabrication of Nanocarbon Interface with High Electron Transfer

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K05465
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Functional solid state chemistry
• Research Institution: Japan Atomic Energy Agency (2017); Hokkaido University (2015-2016)
• Principal Investigator: Yasuda Satoshi 国立研究開発法人日本原子力研究開発機構, 原子力科学研究部門 先端基礎研究センター, 研究職 (90400639)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 電極触媒 / 酸素還元反応 / カーボンナノチューブ / 燃料電池

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Iron-nitrogen-carbon (Fe-N-C) supported carbon nanotube (Fe-N-C/CNT) catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was produced by employing vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNT) with high electronic conductivity and iron(II) phthalocyanine (FePc) molecules. Pyrolyzing the composite easily transformed the adsorbed FePc molecules into a large number of iron coordinated nitrogen functionalized nanographene (Fe-N-C) structures, which served as ORR active sites on the individual VA-CNT surfaces. We found that the catalyst exhibited a high ORR activity, which is attributed to the efficient electron transfer between VACNT and Fe-N-C structure, and between VACNTs. We also found that fine control of the thermal history can effectively increase Fe-N-C catalytic site, and consequent ORR activity of the catalyst increase. Our results would provide guidelines for further activation of non-precious ORR electrocatalyst for fuel cells.

Free Research Field

電極触媒