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Electrochemical behavior of nanostructured nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc/C) for oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-012-0503-4
AuthorSearch for: ; Search for: 1; Search for: 1; Search for: ; Search for: 1; Search for: 1
Affiliation
  1. National Research Council Canada. NRC Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation
FormatText, Article
SubjectActivity enhancement; Alkaline electrolytes; Alkaline media; Catalyst structures; Electrocatalytic activity; Electrochemical behaviors; Electron transfer mechanisms; Half-wave potential; Heat treatment temperature; Heat-treatment effects; Linear sweep voltammetry; Milling procedures; Nano-structured; Nanoparticle catalysts; Nickel phthalocyanines; Number of electrons; Onset potential; Oxygen reduction reaction; Remarkable impact; Rotating disk electrodes; XPS analysis; Catalysts; Cyclic voltammetry; Electrolytes; Electrolytic reduction; Electron transitions; Nitrogen compounds; Photoelectrons; Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC); Rotating disks; Synthesis (chemical); Thermogravimetric analysis; Transmission electron microscopy; X ray diffraction; X ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Nickel
Abstract
Carbon-supported nickel phthalocyanine (NiPc/C) nanoparticle catalysts have been synthesized by a simple solvent-impregnation and milling procedure, then heat-treated at 600, 700, 800 and 900 °C to optimize their activity for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). The electrocatalytic activity and electron transfer mechanism of NiPc/C catalysts were demonstrated in oxygen-saturated alkaline electrolyte by cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry as well as rotating disk electrode techniques, respectively. The results show that the heat-treatment temperature has a remarkable impact on the ORR activity of NiPc/C. An onset potential of 0.05 V and a half-wave potential of -0.15 V are achieved in 0.1 M KOH after the catalyst was heat-treated at 800 °C. In addition to an increase in ORR kinetics, the number of electrons transferred for ORR also increased from 2.2 to 2.8 with increasing heat-treatment temperature from 600 to 800 °C. To understand the heat-treatment effect, X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to identify the catalyst structure and composition. From XPS analysis, pyridinic-N and graphitic-N were clearly observed after the sample was heat-treated at 800 °C. Both of these species might be assigned to sites catalytically active toward the ORR leading to activity enhancement. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.
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  • Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 43, no. 1 (2013): 43–51.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NPARC number21269892
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Record identifierdd38680b-30b2-4efb-b0e0-320f762789fa
Record created2013-12-13
Record modified2020-04-22

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