Functionalized carbon nanomaterials for advanced anode catalysts of fuel cells

The commercial applications of fuel cells need the development of advanced anode electrocatalysts with low cost and high catalytic performance. One of the most effective approaches for this purpose is to choose the suitable catalyst support, which can significantly improve the electrocatalyst performance, durability, and efficiency. It is well known that the pristine carbonaceous support materials (e.g., carbon nanotubes, graphene) are chemically inert and thus their surface properties must be modified prior to immobilizing active species or catalytic nanoparticles. This chapter focuses on the recent advancement in the functionalized carbon nanomaterials for advanced anode catalysts of fuel cells. Several functionalization methods (e.g., covalent functionalization, noncovalent functionalization, and doping functionalization) of carbon nanomaterials are discussed in detail, including their preparation, characterization, and influence on the catalyst performance. Considering the importance of theoretical understanding of catalytic activity, this chapter analyzes the crucial role of functionalized carbon nanomaterials for methanol electrooxidation by the theoretical modeling and density functional theory calculations. Additionally, several research and development directions for new functionalized carbon nanomaterials are also suggested in this chapter to facilitate the design and fabrication of high-performance anode catalysts.