Affiliation:
1. Centre for Energy Studies (formerly School of Energy Studies), Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
2. Department of Physics, B.K. Birla College, Kalyan
Abstract
Abstract
The catalyst development for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) which is an important part of metal-air batteries and fuel cells, is immensely profitable. Along with the aim of development, cost-effectiveness is a needful parameter that gives competitive aspects of the product in the market of energy storage and conversion field. Here, we report the co-precipitation synthesis of cost-effective Co3O4 nanoparticles with the neem leaves-derived carbon (NC) as an efficient oxygen reduction catalyst resulting in a scalable alternative. The structural, phase analysis, thermo-gravimetric, and electrochemical analysis are studied by imposing the pertinent experimental techniques of the prepared catalyst Co3O4@NC. Moreover, the affirmation of the pure phase Co3O4@NC has been done by the oxidation state analysis by X-day photoelectron microscopy. Further, the performance of the fuel cell was tested with distinct loading of catalyst in which for equal loadings of standard platinum-based Ptc 40% and with replacing with Co3O4@NC. The open circuit potential of the Ptc 40 wt% based cell supply is 0.957 and for Co3O4@NC is 0.925 which is just 3.34% less than Ptc 40%. The low cost and highly active oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) cathode Co3O4@NC has been demonstrated in anion-exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) with single-cell assembly.
Publisher
Research Square Platform LLC