Engineering the Catalyst Layer of a Pyrolysis-Free Nonprecious Metal Catalyst for Enhancing Anion-Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an alkaline environment provide a prominent advantage for the development of low-cost anion-exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). However, the synthesis of highly active NPMCs typically involves high-temperature pyrolysis, which increases the time consumption and energy input, especially during the scale-up process. Herein, we report the mild synthesis of a graphene aerogel-based pyrolysis-free NPMC (FePc-GA) for AEMFCs. The physical characterizations demonstrate a strong chemical coupling between the graphene aerogel and FePc in FePc-GA. The electrochemical evaluation evidences that this pyrolysis-free FePc-GA shows excellent ORR activity with a half-wave potential of 0.92 V in half-cell conditions. In addition, by regulation of the ink formulation, the AEMFC reaches a 16 times higher power density using this pyrolysis-free NPMC. This work highlights the feasibility of catalyst layer engineering that can significantly advance the application of cost-effective, sustainable catalysts for AEMFCs.