Stabilizing Pure Water-Fed Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers through Membrane-Electrode Interface Engineering.

Nickel-iron (oxy)hydroxide (NiFeOH) stands as a cutting-edge nonprecious electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the intrinsic thermodynamic instability of nickel and iron as anode materials in pure water-fed electrolyzers poses a significant durability challenge. In this study, an anion exchange ionomer coating was applied to NiFeOH to modify the local pH between a membrane and an electrode.

OH scavenging pyridinic N for facile oxygen reduction reaction on free Pt surface.

Compared to hydrogen oxidation reaction, oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a sluggish reaction in the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. Many studies have focused on the development of complex synthesis methods for new catalysts. In this study, we introduce a simple catalyst layer preparation method using an additive based on physical mixing for facile ORR in acid media.

Durable Nickel-Iron (Oxy)hydroxide Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts through Surface Functionalization with Tetraphenylporphyrin.

NiFe-based oxides are one of the best-known active oxygen evolution electrocatalysts. Unfortunately, they rapidly lost performance in Fe-purified KOH during the reaction. Herein, tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) was loaded on a catalyst/electrolyte interface to alleviate the destabilization of NiFe (oxy)hydroxide.

The Role of Lone-Pair Electrons in Pt-N Interactions for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

Invited for this month's cover is the group of Jaeyoung Lee at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST). The cover image shows how the lone-pair electrons on N atoms could play a role in both uniform nucleation of Pt nanoparticles and facile oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Strong Pt-N interaction based on π-backdonation improves not only the activity of the ORR but also the durability in the polymer exchange membrane fuel cells.

The Role of Lone-Pair Electrons in Pt-N Interactions for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Polymer Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells.

An N-doped carbon with various N concentrations was prepared by using a scalable ball-milling method. The importance of the lone pair of electrons on the N species for the stability of Pt nanoparticles and their activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction was investigated. X-ray spectroscopic analysis was used to investigate the interaction between Pt and the pyridinic N.

Experimental and Density Functional Theory Corroborated Optimization of Durable Metal Embedded Carbon Nanofiber for Oxygen Electrocatalysis.

There is a growing need for widespread deployment of hydrogen and fuel cell technology for the realization of a sustainable energy landscape. However, due to the high price of platinum (Pt) catalysts, it is necessary to develop highly active and stable non-Pt oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts. Here, we describe a rational design of nonnoble metal-embedding and nitrogen-containing carbon nanofiber (M-CNF) catalysts.