Working electrode

Catalysis

Physical chemistry

Inorganic chemistry

Engineering

Chemical engineering

Cobalt

Biochemistry

Cathode

Reversible hydrogen electrode

Electrode

Organic chemistry

Membrane

Hydrogen peroxide

Chemistry

Metallurgy

Materials science

Electrochemistry

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell

Advanced Materials

Due to the Fenton reaction, the presence of Fe and peroxide in electrodes generates free radicals causing serious degradation of the organic ionomer and the membrane. Pt-free and Fe-free cathode catalysts therefore are urgently needed for durable and inexpensive proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Herein, a high-performance nitrogen-coordinated single Co atom catalyst is derived from Co-doped metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) through a one-step thermal activation. Aberration-corrected electron microscopy combined with X-ray absorption spectroscopy virtually verifies the CoN4 coordination at an atomic level in the catalysts. Through investigating effects of Co doping contents and thermal activation temperature, an atomically Co site dispersed catalyst with optimal chemical and structural properties has achieved respectable activity and stability for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in challenging acidic media (e.g., half-wave potential of 0.80 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). The performanc...

Nitrogen‐Coordinated Single Cobalt Atom Catalysts for Oxygen Reduction in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells