AgNPs@Fe-N-C oxygen reduction catalysts for anion exchange membrane fuel cells

Anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs) are hopeful clean energy equipment due to the mild reaction condition and the possibility of using Pt-free catalysts for cathodic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Developing excellent Pt-free ORR catalysts for AEMFC is still of great significance. Here, we construct a composite catalyst (AgNPs@Fe-N-C) of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) surrounded by the atomically dispersed Fe-N-C porous carbon. The AgNPs@Fe-N-C demonstrates outstanding ORR performance and enhanced durability, and its half-wave potential obviously exceeds AgNPs-N-C and Fe-N-C counterparts in alkaline condition. Impressively, the AgNPs@Fe-N-C-based AEMFC exhibits not only the ultrahigh peak power density of 0.848 W cm−2, but also long-term device durability of 200 h in H2/air (CO2-free) system, which is obviously better than that of the Fe-N-C-based AEMFC. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further reveal the synergistic effect of Ag NPs and Fe-N-C for ORR. In short, this work provides a new route to develop high activity and robust Pt-free ORR catalysts for AEMFCs.