BaFe12O19 Functional Porous Carbon Nanocomposite as an Electrocatalyst of the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

Abstract It is crucial to develop a non‐precious metal catalyst with high efficiency, affordable cost, and minimal environmental impact for conducting research on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. In this study, BaFe 12 O 19 functional porous carbon (BaFe 12 O 19 /PC) nanocomposite was successfully prepared using Fe 2 O 3 , BaCO 3 and glucose as precursors. Meanwhile, the BaFe 12 O 19 /PC catalyst‐modified glassy carbon electrode, carbon rod, and Hg/HgO electrode were used as the working electrode, counter electrode, and reference electrode, respectively, to investigate the electrochemical behavior. The uniform distribution of nano‐scale BaFe 12 O 19 particles in a porous carbon framework was confirmed by field emission scanning electron microscopy characterization. In addition, a double‐layer interface (Fe/Fe 3 C) was formed between the porous carbon and the nano‐sized BaFe 12 O 19 particles. Fe/Fe 3 C has a synergistic effect with C, facilitating the migration and transfer of electrons from BaFe 12 O 19 to porous carbon. The BaFe 12 O 19 /PC nanocomposite exhibited a four‐electron pathway for electrocatalytic kinetics, showcasing a significantly elevated half‐wave potential of 0.77 V, an impressively reduced Tafel slope of 84.95 mV/dec, and exceptional tolerance towards methanol. It is important to highlight that the BaFe 12 O 19 /PC nanocomposite not only possess high catalytic activity for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR), but also demonstrate excellent stability. Consequently, this synthesized BaFe 12 O 19 /PC nanocomposite hold promising prospects as cost‐effective and efficient catalysts in fuel cell applications.