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

提出的研究旨在解决氢燃料电池技术的一个突出问题，这是需要非常昂贵的铂基电催化剂用于通常缓慢的氧还原反应（ORR）。也就是说，电催化剂的高成本限制了该技术的普遍适用性，使得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中的主要活动之一。拟议的研究将系统地，通过新的合成方法，广泛的表征和理论建模相结合，开发一种廉价的碳质铁基ORR电催化剂的新设计，其性能接近铂基替代品。这种新颖的设计最近由支持组织Canetique Electrolysis发现，并且涉及通过热解负载在微孔金属有机框架（MOF）上的简单铁配位络合物来合成电催化剂。由于M0 F是最近开发的微孔材料家族，因此仅有一种可商购获得的材料与电催化剂合成相容，成本为$10，000/kg。此外，这种材料不适合改性，阻碍了这种铁基ORR催化剂的进一步优化和开发。拟议的研究将利用PI开发的将简单无机原料转化为各种多孔MOFs的快速无溶剂方法，并利用它们系统地探索涉及MOFs和铁基添加剂的各种组合的新型电催化剂前体。这将最终提供对电催化剂前体的结构如何决定电催化剂性能的强烈理解。重要的是，我们将开发新的合成程序，能够在一个步骤中生产所需的电催化剂前体，并达到千克规模。从拟议的研究中产生的新型铁基电催化剂的理解和有效的大规模合成将为开发新的，廉价和高效的燃料电池产品提供一条路线。

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.