Readily scalable and efficient iron-based PEM fuel cell electrocatalysts from low cost metal organic framework precursors

这项拟议的研究旨在解决氢燃料电池技术的一个突出问题，即需要昂贵的铂基电催化剂来进行典型的缓慢氧还原反应(ORR)。也就是说，电催化剂的高成本限制了这项技术的普遍适用性，使基于更便宜和更丰富的金属的催化材料的开发成为燃料电池开发的主要活动之一。这项研究将通过新的合成方法、广泛的表征和理论模型的结合，系统地开发出一种新的设计，即廉价的碳铁基ORR电催化剂，其性能接近于铂基替代品。这一新颖的设计是最近由支持组织Canentique电解法发现的，它涉及到通过热裂解负载在微孔金属-有机骨架(MOF)上的简单铁配位络合物来合成电催化剂。由于MOF是最近发展起来的一类微孔材料，目前只有一种商业上可用的材料与电催化剂合成兼容，成本为每公斤10,000美元。此外，这种材料不能进行改性，阻碍了此类铁基ORR催化剂的进一步优化和开发。这项研究将利用PI开发的将简单的无机原料转化为不同的多孔MOF的快速和无溶剂的方法，并利用这些方法系统地探索涉及MOF和铁基添加剂的不同组合的新型电催化剂前体。这最终将提供对电催化剂前体的结构如何决定电催化剂性能的深入了解。重要的是，我们将开发新的合成工艺，能够一步生产出所需的电催化剂前体，并可达到千克规模。本研究对新型铁基电催化剂的理解和高效的大规模合成将为开发新型、廉价、高效的燃料电池产品提供一条途径。

The proposed research aims to resolve an outstanding problem of the hydrogen fuel cell technology, which is the need for highly expensive platinum-based electrocatalysts for the typically slow oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Namely, the high cost of the electrocatalyst limits the general applicability of this technology, making the development of catalytic materials based on less expensive and more abundant metals one of the principal activities in fuel cell development. The proposed research will systematically, through a combination of new synthesis approaches, extensive characterization and theoretical modelling, develop a novel design for inexpensive carbonaceous iron-based ORR electrocatalysts whose performance is near to that of platinum-based alternatives. This novel design was recently discovered by the Supporting Organization Canetique Electrolysis, and involves the synthesis of the electrocatalyst by pyrolysis of a simple iron coordination complex supported on a microporous metal-organic framework (MOF). As MOFs are a recently developed family of microporous materials, there is only one commercially available material compatible with electrocatalyst synthesis, with a cost of $10,000/kg. Furthermore, this material is not amenable to modifications, preventing the further optimization and development of such iron-based ORR catalysts. The proposed research will exploit the rapid and solvent-free methods for the transformation of simple inorganic feedstocks into diverse porous MOFs, developed by the PI, and utilize them to systematically explore new electrocatalyst precursors involving diverse combinations of MOFs and iron-based additives. This will ultimately provide a strong understanding of how the structure of the electrocatalyst precursor determines the electrocatalyst performance. Importantly, we will develop new synthetic procedures capable of producing the desired electrocatalyst precursor in one step and up to a kilogram scale. The understanding and efficient large-scale synthesis of novel iron-based electrocatalysts resulting from the proposed research will provide a route to develop new, inexpensive and efficient fuel cell products.