ZIF‐8 derived CeO₂‐Fe₃O₄@Fe‐N/C catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

Abstract

Abstract Looking for non‐noble metal catalysts with low cost, high activity, and high stability to replace platinum in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has aroused great concern. According to previous studies, Fe‐N x /C material is one of the most promising non‐noble metal catalysts for ORR. In this study, new Fe‐N x /C material was synthesized by introducing CeO 2 and Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles into a Fe‐N x /C material derived from ZIF‐8 as precursors. The new material was called CeO 2 ‐Fe 3 O 4 @Fe‐N/C catalyst and the activity of the catalyst was found to be significantly improved in 0.1 mol L −1 KOH. The half‐wave potential of CeO 2 ‐Fe 3 O 4 @Fe‐N/C (0.892 V) is higher than that of Pt/C by 67 mV. In the stability test, the half‐wave potential of CeO 2 ‐Fe 3 O 4 @Fe‐N/C was only reduced by 4 mV after 5,000 cycles. The high performance is attributed to the introduction of CeO 2 and Fe 3 O 4 , which gives CeO 2 ‐Fe 3 O 4 @Fe‐N/C enhanced electrocatalytic activity and long‐term stability. This approach makes CeO 2 ‐Fe 3 O 4 @Fe‐N/C a promising candidate for cathode catalysts in renewable energy conversion devices.