Fabrication and Integration of Functionalized N-rGO-Ni/Ag and N-rGO-Ni/Co Nanocomposites as Synergistic Oxygen Electrocatalysts in Fuel Cells

Abstract

Fabrication of composites by developing simple techniques can be an efficient way to modify the desire properties of the materials. This paper presents a detailed study on synthesis of low cost and efficient nitrogen doped reduced graphene oxide nickle-silver (N-rGO-Ni/Ag) and nickel-cobalt (N-rGO-Ni/Co) nanocomposites as electrocatalysts in fuel cell using one-pot blended reflux condensation route. An admirable correlation in the structures and properties of the synthesized nanocomposites was observed. The Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) values for N-rGO-Ni/Ag and N-rGO-Ni/Co calculated from the onset potential, using Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV), were found to be 1.096 and 1.146. While the half wave potential were determined to be 1.046 and 1.106, respectively, N-rGO-Ni/Ag and N-rGO-Ni/Co. The Tafel and bi-functional (ORR/OER) values were calculated as 76 and 35 mV/decade and 1.23 and 1.12 V, respectively, for N-rGO-Ni/Ag and N-rGO-Ni/Co. The lower onset and half wave potential, low charge transfer resistance (Rct = 1.20 Ω/cm2) and internal solution resistance (Rs = 8.84 × 10−1 Ω/cm2), lower Tafel values (35 mV), satisfactory LSV measurements and mass activity (24.5 at 1.056 V for ORR and 54.9 at 1.056 for OER) demonstrate the remarkable electrocatalytic activity of N-rGO-Ni/Co for both ORR and OER. The chronamperometric stability for synthesized nanocomposites was found satisfactory up to 10 h.

Facile Fabrication of Nickel Supported on Reduced Graphene Oxide Composite for Oxygen Reduction Reaction

“…The C 1s spectra in Figure 4a showed that the peaks of the precursor at 284. 14 [22,43,44]. With an increase in calcination temperature, the peak intensity related to oxygen functional groups in Ni/rGO decreased significantly and finally gradually disappeared, indicating that the oxygen functional groups of GO were effectively removed after heat treatment.…”

“…Not only do they support metal nanoparticles (NPs), but they also facilitate electron/mass transfer and stability through metal-support interactions (MSI) [13]. Among them, graphene materials possess high specific surface areas, excellent conductivity, and adequate porosity [14,15]. They can achieve uniform dispersion of metal NPs through high electrochemically active surface areas, thereby maximizing the utilization of active metals and providing more active sites for catalytic reactions.…”

Waste Lithium Ion Battery Evolves into Heteroatom Doped Carbon as Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalyst for Aqueous Al‐Air Batteries

“…The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy presents that NC-1000 possesses a smaller charge transfer resistance compared with Pt/C in Figure S8, clearly suggesting that NC-1000 has an excellent charge transport performance. [44][45][46][47] The results indicate that NC-1000 catalyst can provide more quicker reaction kinetic and support the outstanding inherent ORR activity, which is favorable evidence for rapid charge/mass transformation due to hierarchical pore constitution. [48][49][50][51][52]…”