Oxygen Reduction Reaction in Layer-by-Layer Fabricated Cobalt Porphyrin-Based Nanostructures

Abstract

Metalloporphyrin-based nanostructures were fabricated on 3-aminopropylmethoxysilane-modified indium tin oxide (ITO) surface. UV-visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry are used for investigating electronic absorption spectra and catalytic activity in oxygen reduction reactions as alternative cathode electrochemical catalysts for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Using of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-amiophenyl)-porphyrin-Co (II) as a building block and 1,4-phenylene diisocyanate as a linker, the mixed toluene/chloroform solution-based layer-by-layer process can produce linear growth of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-amiophenyl)-porphyrin-Co (II) up to 30 layers through urea bonds. The vacuum thermal annealing process demonstrated the improvement of catalytic activity in oxygen reduction reaction.