质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFCs)目前主要催化剂为贵金属Pt基催化剂。然而,Pt价格高、储量低等问题严重阻碍了PEMFCs的商业化进程。发展低成本、高性能的氧还原催化剂是解决铂资源短缺、降低燃料电池成本、实现燃料电池商业化的关键。结合本课题组的研究工作,综述了最近几年非铂催化剂在燃料电池阴极氧还原方面的研究进展,着重探讨了新型氮掺杂碳基纳米材料的设计与制备,并概述了非铂催化剂面临的困难以及未来发展方向。
The approaching commercialization of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is still hindered by the high cost and limited operational stability of the Pt-based cathode catalysts traditionally utilized. Specifically, the cathode catalyst layer comprises over half of the overall cost of a PEMFC stack and the increasing demands for fuel cell power systems will undoubtedly drive up the already high price of Pt. Developing new catalyst with reduced Pt dependency, improved oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity and high stability is an urgent necessity. This paper reviews the recent advancements in the area of Pt-free electrocatalysts for ORR with emphasis on introducing the exciting new research in catalyst synthesis methodologies and the understanding of the mechanism of nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials. The integration of these catalysts into fuel cell operations and the resulting performance/durability, are also discussed. Meanwhile, the insights into the remaining challenges and research directions are proposed in order to shed light on the future development of Pt-free catalysts for ORR.