A CeO2 modified phenylenediamine-based Fe/N/C with enhanced durability/stability as non-precious metal catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract The poor durability/stability of non - precious metal catalysts (NPMCs) hampers their substitution for Pt - based catalysts. Here, phenylenediamine - based Fe/N/C catalysts modified with CeO 2 were synthesized by a hydrothermal method to eliminate hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), thereby improving the durability/stability of the catalyst. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and catalytic durability/stability were evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry and accelerated durability tests (ADTs). The results show that the yield of H 2 O 2 evaluated by rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) measurement decreased obviously when the CeO 2 mass ratio in catalyst is optimal. The loss of current density at 0.8 V of catalyst with 6 wt% CeO 2 and catalyst without CeO 2 were 51.1% and 91.5%, respectively. The addition of CeO 2 can improve the durability/stability of Fe/N/C catalysts obviously due to the elimination of H 2 O 2 during ORR.