N and Fe Doped-Carbon Aerogel for High Performance of Oxygen Reduction Reactions Electrocatalyst in Magnesium-Air Battery

The development of seawater batteries has constraints on oxygen reduction reactions in the battery discharge process that runs slowly. Therefore, an electrocatalyst is needed that accelerates the process. The electrocatalyst developed is a carbon-rich material doped with doping atoms of N and Fe. The effect of adding non-precious metal Fe to nitrogen doped carbon aerogel on the performance of the cathode electrocatalyst in seawater batteries was investigated in this study. This study began with the synthesis of cellulose pulp from palm empty fruit bunch, then progressed to the synthesis of cellulose aerogel by crosslinking NaOH‒Ammonia-Urea with the addition of Fe 5% wt., followed by pyrolysis into carbon aerogel at a temperature of 700 °C. Based on research data, N and Fe doped carbon aerogels have better seawater battery performance than N‒doped carbon aerogels without Fe. Carbon aerogels doped with N and Fe have an iron oxide phase in the form of Fe 3 O 4 (magnetite) with a specific surface area of 2869.9 m 2 /g. Based on the battery test with magnesium alloy anode and 3.5% NaCl electrolyte, cathode with carbon aerogel with N-Fe codoping produces a voltage of 1.4 V, discharge energy of 269.71 mWh and discharge capacity in 1C of 189.76 mWh.