TY - JOUR
T1 - CrN-encapsulated hollow Cr-N-C capsules boosting oxygen reduction catalysis in PEMFC
AU - Yang, Hui
AU - Wang, Xu
AU - Zheng, Tao
AU - Cuello, Nelly Cantillo
AU - Goenaga, Gabriel
AU - Zawodzinski, Thomas A.
AU - Tian, He
AU - Wright, Joshua T.
AU - Meulenberg, Robert W.
AU - Wang, Xiangke
AU - Xia, Zhenhai
AU - Ma, Shengqian
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 CCS Chemistry. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/5
Y1 - 2021/5
N2 - Understanding the origin of the catalytic activity for the development of efficient catalysts is critical yet challenging. Herein, we report a simple strategy for the synthesis of chromium nitride nanoparticles (CrNNPs) encapsulated into hollow chromium-nitrogen-carbon capsules (CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C). The CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic solutions. When applied as a cathode material in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C achieved outstanding initial performance, which is better than that of the PEMFC with H-Cr-Nx-C cathode material. The CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C cathode also showed good stability over 110 h of operation. These results demonstrated that the coexistence of atomically dispersed CrNx sites and sufficient CrNNPs is essential for excellent PEMFC performances. Density functional theory (DFT) studies further corroborated that CrNNPs can boost the ORR activity of H-Cr-Nx-C. This finding opens a new avenue for the fabrication of low-cost, highly active, and durable ORR catalysts for PEMFC and other applications.
AB - Understanding the origin of the catalytic activity for the development of efficient catalysts is critical yet challenging. Herein, we report a simple strategy for the synthesis of chromium nitride nanoparticles (CrNNPs) encapsulated into hollow chromium-nitrogen-carbon capsules (CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C). The CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acidic solutions. When applied as a cathode material in a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), the CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C achieved outstanding initial performance, which is better than that of the PEMFC with H-Cr-Nx-C cathode material. The CrN@H-Cr-Nx-C cathode also showed good stability over 110 h of operation. These results demonstrated that the coexistence of atomically dispersed CrNx sites and sufficient CrNNPs is essential for excellent PEMFC performances. Density functional theory (DFT) studies further corroborated that CrNNPs can boost the ORR activity of H-Cr-Nx-C. This finding opens a new avenue for the fabrication of low-cost, highly active, and durable ORR catalysts for PEMFC and other applications.
KW - Chromium-nitrogen-carbon
KW - Chromiumnitride
KW - Durability
KW - Fuel cell
KW - Metal-organicframework
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85107994865&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.31635/ccschem.020.202000645
DO - 10.31635/ccschem.020.202000645
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85107994865
SN - 2096-5745
VL - 3
SP - 208
EP - 218
JO - CCS Chemistry
JF - CCS Chemistry
IS - 5
ER -