1506
Electrocatalysis of the Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Media: Comparison of Predominant Reaction Pathways on Various Electrode Materials

Tuesday, 7 October 2014: 08:00
Expo Center, 1st Floor, Universal 14 (Moon Palace Resort)
T. Poux (ICPEES UMR 7515 CNRS-ECPM-University of Strasbourg), E. R. Savinova (ICPEES UMR 7515-CNRS-Univeristy of Strasbourg), A. Bonnefont (Institut de Chimie, UMR 7177, CNRS/Université de Strasbourg), L. Truong Phuoc (ICPEES UMR 7515 CNRS-ECPM-University of Strasbourg), A. Ryabova (Faculty of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University), G. Kéranguéven (ICPEES UMR 7515 CNRS-ECPM-University of Strasbourg), G. Tsirlina (Faculty of Chemistry, Moscow University), and C. Pham-Huu (ICPEES UMR 7515 CNRS-ECPM-University of Strasbourg)
The electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in alkaline media has recently attracted much attention due to an increased interest to solid and liquid alkaline fuel cells. In this presentation we will compare three classes of materials: transition metal oxides of the perovskite family, Fe/N/C, and Pt/C in terms of their activity and selectivity in the ORR. By combining the rotating-ring-disc electrode (RRDE) study with microkinetic modeling we will try to understand whether the oxygen reduction on these materials follows a “direct” 4 e- path or the O2 molecule is first reduced to hydrogen peroxide and only then to water, and how the predominant reaction pathways depend on the electrode potential. RRDE measurements in the temperature range from 25 to 75°C will help us to better understand the reaction mechanism. Complementary study of the hydrogen peroxide oxidation/reduction will also be presented. Finally, we will speculate which reaction steps have to be accelerated in order to decrease the overpotential of the ORR.

Acknowledgements

The authors thank E. V. Antipov, S.Ya. Istomin and F.S. Napolskiy of the Moscow State University (Russia) for the synthesis and characterization of perovskite materials and for valuable discussions, P. Simonov of the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis (Novosibirsk, Russia) for supplying Sibunit Carbon, and Tokuyama Company for supplying alkaline ionomer. Financial support from CNRS (France), Russian Foundation for Basic Research, and European Commission within the FP7 FREECATS project is gratefully appreciated.

References

  1. T. Poux, A. Bonnefont, G. Kéranguéven, G. A. Tsirlina, E. R. Savinova, ChemPhysChem, DOI: 10.1002/cphc.201402022.
  2. T. Poux, A. Bonnefont, A. Ryabova, G. Kéranguéven, G. A. Tsirlina, E. R. Savinova, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., DOI:10.1039/C4CP00341A.
  3. T. Poux, F. Napolskiy, G. Kéranguéven, S. Istomin, G. Tsirlina, E. Antipov, E. R. Savinova, Catal. Today, 189 (2012) 83–92.
  4. Pavel S. Ruvinskiy, Antoine Bonnefont, Cuong Pham-Huu, and Elena R. Savinova, Langmuir, 2011, 27 (14), pp 9018–9027.