Insertion of Noble Metal Free Cathodic Catalyst Layer with Fe-N-C Catalyst for Boosted Performance of PEMFC

Authors

• Shi Zhou, Nano Science and Technology Institute, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Division of Advanced Nanomaterials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
• Muhammad Tariq, Division of Advanced Nanomaterials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
• Asif Nadeem Tabish, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, New Campus, Lahore, 39021, Pakistan
• Muhammad Salman, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, 54890, Pakistan
• Fan-Di Ning, Division of Advanced Nanomaterials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, China
• Muhammad Rayyan Tayyab, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Environmental Risk Assessment and Control on Chemical Processes, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Meilong Road Shanghai 200237, China
• Ran-Ran Peng, Anhui Laboratory of Advanced Photon Science and Technology, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale and CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
• Meng-Geng Hao, National Engineering Research Center for Optoelectronic Crystalline Materials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China
• Wen-Mu Li, National Engineering Research Center for Optoelectronic Crystalline Materials, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaFollow
• Xiao-Chun Zhou, Division of Advanced Nanomaterials, Suzhou Institute of Nano-Tech and Nano-Bionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215123, ChinaFollow

Corresponding Author

Wen-Mu Li (liwm@fjirsm.ac.cn);
Xiao-Chun Zhou (xczhou2013@sinano.ac.cn)

Abstract

Economical Fe-N-C catalysts are considered as promising alternatives to platinum group metal catalysts for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Despite exhibiting robust activity on rotating disk electrodes, their performance within membrane electrode assemblies often experiences limitations, such as decreased O₂ diffusion, high H₂O₂ formation, low proton conduction, and a lower electron transfer number. In this study, key factors, including proton transport, electron conduction, and gas diffusion within air-breathing PEMFCs, have been investigated by adjusting cathode catalyst layer (CCL) compositions. From the experimental results, the optimal peak power density was obtained when the loading of Fe-N-C catalyst was 1 mg∙cm^–² and Nafion content was 0.15 mg∙cm^–² within CCLs. The addition of polytetrafluoroethylene to enhance hydrophobicity was found to have a negative impact on PEMFC performance. Furthermore, the incorporation of diverse carbon nanotubes into CCLs resulted in a significant increase of over 30% in peak power density, attributed to enhancements in the gas diffusion and proton conductivity. The critical roles of gas transport and proton conductivity within Fe-N-C-based CCLs have been highlighted by this study. These findings contribute to the advancement of rational design principles for economical PEMFCs, offering valuable insights to drive the development of efficient and cost-effective technology in future.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Noble metal-free catalyst, Fe-N-C catalyst, Carbon nanotube, Membrane electrode assembly

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.61558/2993-074X.3607

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Publication Date

2026-04-28

Online Available Date

2026-02-13

Revised Date

2025-12-17

Received Date

2025-11-12

Recommended Citation

Shi Zhou, Muhammad Tariq, Asif Nadeem Tabish, Muhammad Salman, Fan-Di Ning, Muhammad Rayyan Tayyab, Ran-Ran Peng, Meng-Geng Hao, Wen-Mu Li, Xiao-Chun Zhou. Insertion of Noble Metal Free Cathodic Catalyst Layer with Fe-N-C Catalyst for Boosted Performance of PEMFC[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2026, 32(4): 2511141.
DOI: 10.61558/2993-074X.3607
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol32/iss4/3