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Nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon from bio-waste as efficient low-cost electrocatalyst for fuel cell application

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Abstract

The development of metal-free carbon-based catalysts for alkaline fuel cells has been the subject of current interest, because of the low cost and improving fuel cell efficiency. Particularly, nitrogen-doped carbon shows prominent results. Here, we show an oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity of nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon materials (N-GLC) prepared by heating bagasse-derived carbon and melamine in a 1:15 ratio. The N-GLC catalyst displays excellent electro-catalytic activity towards the ORR with an onset potential of 0.92 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in alkaline media (0.1 M KOH). Moreover, the half-wave (E1/2) potential 0.83 V is almost the same compared to Pt-C (40 wt%) catalyst and the diffusion limiting current of 4 mA cm–2. The rotating ring disc experiment showed a four-electron pathway (n = 3.65) with the moderate peroxide (\({{\rm HO}}^{-}_{2}\)) yield. Due to its promising ORR activity and long-term electrochemical stability, N-GLC catalyst is used in alkaline anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) as a single cell, about 6 mW cm–2 peak power density was achieved at the load current density of ~20 mA cm–2. So the N-GLC can be a cheap alternative ORR catalyst for AEMFC applications.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Central Instrumentation Facility, CECRI, Karaikudi, CSIR, India, for providing characterization facilities.

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Author notes

  1. Dasari Bosubabu and V Parthiban contributed equally to this article.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute-Madras Unit, CSIR-Madras Complex, Chennai, 600113, India

    Dasari Bosubabu, V Parthiban, A K Sahu & K Ramesha

  2. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India

    Dasari Bosubabu, V Parthiban, A K Sahu & K Ramesha

Authors
  1. Dasari Bosubabu
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  2. V Parthiban
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  3. A K Sahu
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  4. K Ramesha
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to K Ramesha.

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Bosubabu, D., Parthiban, V., Sahu, A.K. et al. Nitrogen-doped graphene-like carbon from bio-waste as efficient low-cost electrocatalyst for fuel cell application. Bull Mater Sci 44, 135 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-021-02367-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12034-021-02367-9

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