Nitrogen-doped carbon xerogel: A novel carbon-based electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells

Abstract

A low-cost, novel carbon-based electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), nitrogen-doped carbon xerogel (N-CX) was synthesized via a sol–gel polymerization method followed by a pyrolysis process. The N-CX catalyst exhibited a high activity for ORR, and a good stability in acid media. A high performance with a maximum power density of 360 mW cm⁻² was achieved on a single PEM fuel cell with N-CX as the cathode electrocatalyst.