(521bd) A Novel Inexpensive High-Performance Pt-Free Catalyst for Sustainable Hydrogen Fuel Cell

In the quest for alternative and green energy sources to tackle energy crisis and climate change, Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) have been receiving notable attention, owing to their high energy conversion efficiency and negligible to zero greenhouse gas emission. However, the high cost and sluggish reaction kinetics of conventional platinum catalysts for fuel cells have hindered large-scale commercialization of fuel cells. Iron phthalocyanine (FePc) has been an auspicious electrocatalyst to replace platinum in PEMFCs for quite some time due to their superior oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, better stability, and non-precious nature. Immobilizing FePc over graphene substrate leads to enhanced electron conductivity, prevention of FePc aggregation, greater stability, and increased number of active sites, while B doping of the graphene substrate regulates the electronic structure to yield enhanced ORR activity. As a result, the overall catalytic performance of the catalyst surpasses that of the conventional Pt/C cathode of the fuel cell. Focusing on this synergistic effect due to the pi-pi stacking interaction between B doped graphene and FePc, we will discuss about the synthesis method of the catalyst and various characterization methods employed to elucidate the underlying physical and electronic structure leading to the ORR activity. The talk will also include detailed analysis of the electrochemical performance test results and the future scope of the development of next generation Pt-free electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen fuel cells.