Constructing a Triple-Phase Interface in Micropores to Boost Performance of Fe/N/C Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells

Pyrolyzed Fe/N/C, a promising nonprecious-metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), usually relies on abundant micropores, which can host a large amount of active sites. However, microporous structure suffers from severe water flooding to break the triple-phase interface where ORR occurs, especially in a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) fed with liquid fuel. Current studies about the fabrication of a triple-phase interface are mainly limited on a Pt/C catalyst layer, where mesopores and macropores are concerned. Here, we successfully constructed a triple-phase interface in micropores of Fe/N/C catalysts by controlling the distribution of a hydrophobic additive, dimethyl silicon oil (DMS), just partially penetrating into the micropores. The elaborately constructed Fe/N/C-based DMFC can deliver high power density (102 and 130 mW cm –2 at 60 and 80 °C, respectively) and durability comparable to that of Pt/C-based DMFC. This study presents a new avenue to engineer catalyst microporous channels to boost the performance of nonprecious-metal catalysts for fuel cells.