Realising the electrochemical stability of graphene: scalable synthesis of an ultra-durable platinum catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

Creating effective and stable catalyst nanoparticle-coated electrodes that can withstand extensive cycling is a current roadblock in realising the potential of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Graphene has been proposed as an ideal electrode support material due to its corrosion resistance, high surface area and high conductivity. However, to date, graphene-based electrodes suffer from high defect concentrations and non-uniform nanoparticle coverage that negatively affects performance; moreover, production methods are difficult to scale.

Superacidity in Nafion/MOF Hybrid Membranes Retains Water at Low Humidity to Enhance Proton Conduction for Fuel Cells.

A hybrid membrane of superacid sulfated Zr-MOF (SZM) and Nafion shows much superior performance to Nafion, particularly for fuel cell operating under low humidity. The Brønsted acidic sites in SZM networks retain an ample amount of water which facilitated proton conduction under low humidity. The water retention properties of Nafion-SZM hybrid membranes with 1 wt % loading of SZM increased at 35% relative humidity and outperformed commercial unfilled Nafion membrane.

Fe-N-Doped Carbon Capsules with Outstanding Electrochemical Performance and Stability for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Both Acid and Alkaline Conditions.

High surface area N-doped mesoporous carbon capsules with iron traces exhibit outstanding electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction in both alkaline and acidic media. In alkaline conditions, they exhibit more positive onset (0.94 V vs RHE) and half-wave potentials (0.

Graphitic Carbon Nitride Supported Catalysts for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells.

Graphitic carbon nitrides are investigated for developing highly durable Pt electrocatalyst supports for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Three different graphitic carbon nitride materials were synthesized with the aim to address the effect of crystallinity, porosity, and composition on the catalyst support properties: polymeric carbon nitride (gCNM), poly(triazine) imide carbon nitride (PTI/LiCl), and boron-doped graphitic carbon nitride (B-gCNM). Following accelerated corrosion testing, all graphitic carbon nitride materials are found to be more electrochemically stable compared to conventional carbon black (Vulcan XC-72R) with B-gCNM support showing the best stability.