A Catalyst Based on a Macroheterocyclic Mn Compound and Modified CNTs for an Alkaline Hydrogen–Air Fuel Cell
摘要
A new catalytic system based on manganese phthalocyanine and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (CNTNs) was synthesized and studied as a platinum-free electrocatalyst in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in an alkaline medium. The synthesized MnPc/CNTN electrocatalyst showed high activity in the ORR both under model conditions using a rotating disk electrode and as part of an alkaline fuel cell (AFC) with a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) with an anion-exchange membrane. Results obtained were compared with a commercial monoplatinum catalyst’s characteristics under the same conditions. The maximum power density values were 30 and 51 mW/cm2 for an MEA with 60Pt/C and MnPc/CNTN, respectively. It has been shown that the MnPc/CNTN system under the operating conditions of an AFC with an MEA is characterized by a higher tolerance to toxic agents (including the ionomer) than the platinum catalyst, which is an important advantage of an MEA based on MnPc/CNTs.