Low Cost Co3O4 & Neem Leaves Derived Carbon Composite: High-Performance Oxygen Reduction Electro-catalyst for AEMFC

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.