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International audience; Atomic Fe in N-doped carbon (FeNC) electrocatalysts for oxygen (O$_2$) reduction at the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are the most promising alternative to platinum-group-metal catalysts. Despite recent progress on atomic FeNC O$_2$ reduction, their controlled synthesis and stability for practical applications remains challenging. A two-step synthesis approach has recently led to significant advances in terms of Fe-loading and mass activity; however, the Fe utilisation remains low owing to the difficulty of building scaffolds with sufficient porosity that electrochemically exposes the active sites. Herein, we addressed this issue by coordinating Fe in a highly porous nitrogen doped carbon support (~3295 m$^2$ g$^{-1}$), prepared by pyrolysis of inexpensive 2,4,6triaminopyrimidine and a Mg$^{2+}$ salt active site template and porogen. Upon Fe coordination, a high electrochemical active site density of 2.54×10$^{19}$ sites g$_{FeNC}$$^{-1}$ and a record 52% FeN$_x$ electrochemical utilisation based on in situ nitrite stripping was achieved. The Fe single atoms are characterised pre-and post-electrochemical accelerated stress testing by aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, showing no Fe clustering. Moreover, ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and low-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy suggest the presence of penta-coordinated Fe sites, which were further studied by density functional theory calculations.

While improved activity was recently reported for bimetallic iron-metal-nitrogen-carbon (FeMNC) catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in acid medium, the nature of active sites and interactions between the two metals are poorly understood. Here, FeSnNC and FeCoNC catalysts were structurally and catalytically compared to their parent FeNC and SnNC catalysts. While CO cryo-chemisorption revealed a twice lower site density of M-Nx sites for FeSnNC and FeCoNC relative to FeNC and SnNC, the mass activity of both bimetallic catalysts is 50–100% higher than that of FeNC, due to a larger turnover frequency in the bimetallic catalysts. Electron microscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy identified the coexistence of Fe-Nx and Sn-Nx or Co-Nx sites, while no evidence was found for binuclear Fe-M-Nx sites. 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy revealed that the bimetallic catalysts feature a higher D1/D2 ratio of the spectral signatures assigned to two distinct Fe-Nx sites, relative to the FeNC parent catalyst. Thus, the addition of the secondary metal favored the formation of D1 sites, associated with the higher turnover frequency.

Single-atom catalysts with a well-defined metal center open unique opportunities for exploring the catalytically active site and reaction mechanism of chemical reactions. However, understanding of the electronic and structural dynamics of single-atom catalytic centers under reaction condition is still limited due to the challenge of combining operando techniques that are sensitive to such sites and model single-atom systems. Herein, supported by state-of-the-art operando techniques, we provide an in-depth study of the dynamic structural and electronic evolution during electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) of a model catalyst comprising iron only as a high-spin (HS) Fe(III)N4 center in its resting state. Operando 57Fe Mössbauer and X-ray absorption spectroscopies clearly evidence the change from a HS Fe(III)N4 to a HS Fe(II)N4 center with decreasing potential, CO2- or Ar-saturation of the electrolyte leading to different adsorbates and stability of the HS Fe(II)N4 center. With operando Raman spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, we identify that the phthalocyanine (Pc) ligand coordinating the iron cation center undergoes a redox process from Fe(II)Pc to Fe(II)Pc−. Altogether, the HS Fe(II)Pc− species is identified as the catalytic intermediate for CO2RR. Furthermore, theoretical calculations reveal that the electroreduction of the Pc ligand modifies the d-band center of the in situ generated HS Fe(II)Pc− species, resulting in an optimal binding strength to CO2 and thus boosting the catalytic performance of CO2RR. This work provides both experimental and theoretical evidence towards the electronic structural and dynamics of reactive sites in single-Fe-atom materials and shall guide the design of novel efficient catalysts for CO2RR.

Atomic Fe in N-doped carbon (FeNC) electrocatalysts for oxygen (O2) reduction at the cathode of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) are the most promising alternative to platinum-group-metal catalysts. Despite recent progress on atomic FeNC O2 reduction, their controlled synthesis and stability for practical applications remains challenging. A two-step synthesis approach has recently led to significant advances in terms of Fe-loading and mass activity; however, the Fe utilisation remains low owing to the difficulty of building scaffolds with sufficient porosity that electrochemically exposes the active sites. Herein, we addressed this issue by coordinating Fe in a highly porous nitrogen doped carbon support (~3295 m2 g-1), prepared by pyrolysis of inexpensive 2,4,6-triaminopyrimidine and a Mg2+ salt active site template and porogen. Upon Fe coordination, a high electrochemical active site density of 2.54×10^19 sites gFeNC-1 and a record 52% FeNx electrochemical utilisation based on in situ nitrite stripping was achieved. The Fe single atoms are characterised pre- and post-electrochemical accelerated stress testing by aberration-corrected high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy, showing no Fe clustering. Moreover, ex situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and low-temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy suggest the presence of penta-coordinated Fe sites, which were further studied by density functional theory calculations.

The use of Pt-based cathode catalyst materials hinders the widespread application of anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Herein, we present a non-precious metal catalyst (NPMC) material based on pyrolysed Fe and Co co-doped electrospun carbon nanofibres (CNFs). The prepared materials are studied as oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in alkaline and acidic environments. High activity towards the ORR in alkaline solution indicated the suitability of the prepared NPMCs for the application at the AEMFC cathode. In the AEMFC test, the membrane-electrode assembly bearing a cathode with the nanofibre-based catalyst prepared with the ionic liquid (IL) (Fe/Co/IL–CNF–800b) showed the maximum power density (Pmax) of 195 mW cm−2, which is 78% of the Pmax obtained with a commercial Pt/C cathode catalyst. Such high ORR electrocatalytic activity was attributed to the unique CNF structure, high micro-mesoporosity, different nature of nitrogen species and metal-Nx active centres.

Beyond great advances in initial activity, Fe-N-C catalysts face the next challenge of stability issue in acidic medium that must be overcome to replace Pt in fuel cell cathode. However, the complex phenomena in fuel cells and consequential difficulty in understanding deactivation mechanisms of Fe-N-C cathodes impede solutions for prolonged stability. Here, we show time-resolved changes in active site density (SD) and turnover frequency (TOF) of Fe-N-C along with concurrent decrease in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) current in temperature/gas controllable gas-diffusion electrode (GDE) flow cell. In operando diagnosis of Fe leaching identifies a strong dependence of SD changes on operating parameters, and draws a lifetime-dependent stability diagram that reveals a shift in prime degradation mechanism during the operations. A proof-of-concept strategy with site-isolated Pt ions as a non-catalytic stabilizer, supported by theoretical calculation, demonstrates enhanced fuel cell stability with reduced Fe dissolution, offering new design principle for durable Fe-N-C catalysts.

International audience

Replacing scarce and expensive platinum (Pt) with metal–nitrogen–carbon (M–N–C) catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells has largely been impeded by the low oxygen reduction reaction activity of M–N–C due to low active site density and site utilization. Herein, we overcome these limits by implementing chemical vapour deposition to synthesize Fe–N–C by flowing iron chloride vapour over a Zn–N–C substrate at 750 °C, leading to high-temperature trans-metalation of Zn–N4 sites into Fe–N4 sites. Characterization by multiple techniques shows that all Fe–N4 sites formed via this approach are gas-phase and electrochemically accessible. As a result, the Fe–N–C catalyst has an active site density of 1.92 × 1020 sites per gram with 100% site utilization. This catalyst delivers an unprecedented oxygen reduction reaction activity of 33 mA cm−2 at 0.90 V (iR-corrected; i, current; R, resistance) in a H2–O2 proton exchange membrane fuel cell at 1.0 bar and 80 °C. Replacing platinum with metal–nitrogen–carbon catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cells has been impeded by low activity. These limitations have now been overcome by the trans-metalation of Zn–N4 sites into Fe–N4 sites.

The electrochemical activity of modern Fe-N-C electrocatalysts in alkaline media is on par with that of platinum. For successful application in fuel cells (FCs), however, also high durability and longevity must be demonstrated. Currently, a limited understanding of degradation pathways, especially under operando conditions, hinders the design and synthesis of simultaneously active and stable Fe-N-C electrocatalysts. In this work, using a gas diffusion electrode half-cell coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry setup, Fe dissolution is studied under conditions close to those in FCs, that is, with a porous catalyst layer (CL) and at current densities up to -125 mA·cm

Single-atom catalysts (SACs) featuring atomically dispersed metal cations covalently embedded in a carbon matrix show significant potential to achieve high catalytic performance in various electrocatalytic reactions. Although considerable advances have been achieved in their syntheses and electrochemical applications, further development and fundamental understanding are limited by a lack of strategies that can allow the quantitative analyses of their intrinsic catalytic characteristics, that is, active site density (SD) and turnover frequency (TOF). Here we show an in situ SD quantification method using a cyanide anion as a probe molecule. The decrease in cyanide concentration triggered by irreversible adsorption on metal-based active sites of a model Fe-N-C catalyst is precisely measured by spectrophotometry, and it is correlated to the relative decrease in electrocatalytic activity in the model reaction of oxygen reduction reaction. The linear correlation verifies the surface-sensitive and metal-specific adsorption of cyanide on Fe-N x sites, based on which the values of SD and TOF can be determined. Notably, this analytical strategy shows versatile applicability to a series of transition/noble metal SACs and Pt nanoparticles in a broad pH range (1-13). The SD and TOF quantification can afford an improved understanding of the structure-activity relationship for a broad range of electrocatalysts, in particular, the SACs, for which no general electrochemical method to determine the intrinsic catalytic characteristics is available.

Non-precious iron-based catalysts (Fe-NCs) require high active site density (SD) to meet the performance targets as cathode catalysts in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). SD is generally limited to that achieved at 1-3 wt%(Fe) loading due to the undesired formation of iron-containing nanoparticles at higher loadings. Here we show that by pre-forming a carbon-nitrogen matrix using a sacrificial metal (Zn) in the initial synthesis step and then exchanging iron into this preformed matrix we achieve 7 wt% iron coordinated solely as single atom Fe-N4 sites as identified by 57Fe cryo Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy. SD values measured by in situ nitrite stripping and ex situ CO chemisorption methods are 4.7x1019 and 7.8x1019 sitesg-1, with a turnover frequency of 5.4 electrons̭sites-1s-1 at 0.80 V in 0.5M H2SO4 electrolyte. The catalyst delivers excellent PEMFC performance with current densities of 41.3 mAcm-2 at 0.90 ViR-free using H2-O2 (10.6 Ag-1) and 145 mA cm-2 at 0.80 V (199 mAcm-2 at 0.80 ViR-free) using H2-air.

The incorporation of Pt into an iron-nitrogen-carbon (FeNC) catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) was recently shown to enhance catalyst stability without Pt directly contributing to the ORR activity. However, the mechanistic origin of this stabilisation remained obscure. It is established herein with rotating ring disc experiments that the side product, H2O2, which is known to damage FeNC catalysts, is suppressed by the presence of Pt. The formation of reactive oxygen species is additionally inhibited, independent of intrinsic H2O2 formation, as determined by electron paramagnetic resonance. Transmission electron microscopy identifies an oxidised Fe-rich layer covering the Pt particles, thus explaining the inactivity of the latter towards the ORR. These insights develop understanding of FeNC degradation mechanisms during ORR catalysis, and crucially establish the required properties of a precious metal free protective catalyst to improve FeNC stability in acidic media.

International audience; NADPH oxidase (NOX) as a transmembrane enzyme complex controls the generation of superoxide that plays important roles in immune signaling pathway. NOX inactivation may elicit immunodeficiency and cause chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). Biocompatible synthetic materials with NOX-like activities would therefore be interesting as curative and/or preventive approaches in case of NOX deficiency. Herein, we synthesized a Fe–N doped graphene (FeNGR) nanomaterial that could mimic the activity of NOX by efficiently catalyzing the conversion of NADPH into NADP+ and triggering the generation of oxygen radicals. The resulting FeNGR nanozyme had similar cellular distribution to NOX and is able to mimic the enzyme function in NOX-deficient cells by catalyzing the generation of superoxide and retrieving the immune activity, evidenced by TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 production in response to Alum exposure. Overall, our study discovered a synthetic material (FeNGR) to mimic NOX and demonstrated its biological function in immune activation of NOX-deficient cells.

International audience; Precious metal-free catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells are gaining momentum, with Fe-N-C catalysts comprising atomic FeN x sites the most promising candidate. Research and development is shifting from activity targets to improved stability of Fe-N-C catalysts in fuel cells. Their durability has hitherto been extensively studied using accelerated stress tests (AST) performed at room temperature and in inert-gas saturated acidic pH electrolyte. Here, we reveal stronger degradation of the Fe-N-C structure and four times higher ORR activity loss when performing load cycling AST in O2-vs. Ar-saturated pH 1 electrolyte. Raman spectroscopy results point towards strong carbon corrosion after AST in O2 , even when cycling at low potentials of 0.3-0.7 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode, while no corrosion occurred after any load cycling AST in Ar. The load cycling AST in O2 leads to the loss of a significant fraction of FeN x sites, as shown by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses, and to the formation of Fe oxides. The results support that the unexpected carbon corrosion occurring at such low potential in the presence of O2 is due to reactive oxygen species produced between H 2 O 2 and Fe sites via Fenton reactions.

International audience; We report a comprehensive analysis of the catalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) reactivity of four of today's most active benchmark platinum group metal-free (PGM-free) iron/nitrogen doped carbon electrocatalysts (Fe-N-Cs). Our analysis reaches far beyond previous such attempts in linking kinetic performance metrics, such as electrocatalytic mass-based and surface area-based catalytic activity with previously elusive kinetic metrics such as the active metal site density (SD) and the catalytic turnover frequency (TOF). Kinetic ORR activities, SD and TOF values were evaluated using in situ electrochemical NO 2 À reduction as well as an ex situ gaseous CO cryo chemisorption. Experimental ex situ and in situ Fe surface site densities displayed remarkable quantitative congruence. Plots of SD versus TOF (''reactivity maps'') are utilized as new analytical tools to deconvolute ORR reactivities and thus enabling rational catalyst developments. A microporous catalyst showed large SD values paired with low TOF, while mesoporous catalysts displayed the opposite. Trends in Fe surface site density were linked to molecular nitrogen and Fe moieties (D1 and D2 from 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy), from which pore locations of catalytically active D1 and D2 sites were established. This cross-laboratory analysis, its employed experimental practices and analytical methodologies are expected to serve as a widely accepted reference for future, knowledge-based research into improved PGM-free fuel cell cathode catalysts. Broader context Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) have reached the commercial stage and ever wider deployment is imminent. To further reduce the loading of platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts in PEMFC electrodes, PGM-free, iron and nitrogen-doped carbon oxygen reduction (ORR) electrocatalysts (Fe-N-C) were developed over past decades. Recent advances in activity and stability of Fe-N-C are impressive, yet methods to evaluate the number of catalytic active Fe sites at the surface and intrinsic turn over frequency remained elusive. This changed with the advent of CO cryo-sorption and in situ nitrite stripping techniques that yielded these intrinsic reactivity descriptors. Never before, however, have these two complementary specific adsorption/stripping techniques been compared and combined with other chemical and spectroscopic analytics for an in-depth analysis of catalytic reactivity of Fe-N-C ORR electrocatalysts. The present study addresses this issue and presents a comprehensive analysis of the reactivity of the four state-of-the-art Fe-N-C PEMFC electrocatalysts. The study provides a deeper understanding of the origin and difference in catalytic performance through the combination of a host of different surface sensitive and bulk analysis methods. The methodologies and analyses of this benchmark catalyst study will benefit future developments in Fe-N-C catalysis.

As highlighted by the recent roadmaps from the European Union and the United States, water electrolysis is the most valuable high-intensity technology for producing green hydrogen. Currently, two commercial low-temperature water electrolyzer technologies exist: alkaline water electrolyzer (A-WE) and proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEM-WE). However, both have major drawbacks. A-WE shows low productivity and efficiency, while PEM-WE uses a significant amount of critical raw materials. Lately, the use of anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEM-WE) has been proposed to overcome the limitations of the current commercial systems. AEM-WE could become the cornerstone to achieve an intense, safe, and resilient green hydrogen production to fulfill the hydrogen targets to achieve the 2050 decarbonization goals. Here, the status of AEM-WE development is discussed, with a focus on the most critical aspects for research and highlighting the potential routes for overcoming the remaining issues. The Review closes with the future perspective on the AEM-WE research indicating the targets to be achieved.

To advance the widespread implementation of electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies, the development of inexpensive electrocatalysts is imperative. In this context, Fe/N/C-materials represent a promising alternative to the costly noble metals currently used to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and also display encouraging activities for the reduction of CO2. Nevertheless, the application of these materials in commercial devices requires further improvements in their performance and stability that are currently hindered by a lack of understanding of the nature of their active sites and the associated catalytic mechanisms. With this motivation, herein the authors exploit the high sensitivity of modulation excitation X-ray absorption spectroscopy toward species undergoing potential-induced changes to elucidate the operando local geometry of the active sites in two sorts of Fe/N/C-catalysts. While the ligand environment of a part of both materials' sites appears to change from six-/five- to fourfold coordination upon potential decrease, they differ substantially when it comes to the geometry of the coordination sphere, with the more ORR-active material undergoing more pronounced restructuring. Furthermore, these time-resolved spectroscopic measurements yield unprecedented insights into the kinetics of Fe-based molecular sites' structural reorganization, identifying the oxidation of iron as a rate-limiting process for the less ORR-active catalyst., Advanced Energy Materials, 12 (14)

International audience; While water management in Anion Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (AEMFCs) is seen as crucial for performance and durability, measurements of water management within operating cells remain few. In this work, we measured the performance of an H2/O2 AEMFC based on a low-density polyethylene membrane AEM, PtRu/C anode and Fe-N-C cathode for various combinations of inlet relative humidities, gas pressures and flow rates. Simultaneously, the anode and cathode outlet relative humidities were measured using humidity sensors, from which the amount of water removed from the cell could be quantified for each side. The data shows that back-diffusion of water from anode to cathode results in increasing outlet relative humidity with increased current density, both at anode and cathode. Water produced in the AEMFC was thus removed from both sides. The maximum current density was found to be strongly connected to anode flooding, which is also the main cause for hysteresis during potentiodynamic scans. However, under atypical operating conditions, the cell performance may also be limited by low humidity at the cathode, with associated low ionomer conductivity. Overall, it is concluded that water management of AEMFC with thin AEMs can be achieved by playing with both the anode and cathode operating conditions

International audience; M-N-C electrocatalysts (where M is Fe or Co) have been investigated for mitigating the dependence on noble metals when catalyzing the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) for fuel cell technologies in acidic or alkaline conditions. Rotating disc and rotating ring-disk electrodes measurements for Fe-N-C and CoN -C catalysts demonstrate promising performances and stability for the ORR, while the activity of main suspected active sites (M-NxCy and M@N-C) has been discussed on the basis of the known physical-chemical properties of the catalysts in acid and alkaline media. Thereupon, it is observed that atomically-dispersed Fe-NxCy sites reach the highest ORR activity in acid media when amplified by an adequate energy binding between the metallic center and the oxygenated reaction intermediates. In contrast, Fe@N-C core-shell sites reach a maximum ORR mass activity in alkaline media through a synergistic effect involving catalyst particles with metallic iron in the core and nitrogen-doped carbon in the shell.

Electrocatalytic conversion of nitrogen oxides to value-added chemicals is a promising strategy for mitigating the human-caused unbalance of the global nitrogen-cycle, but controlling product selectivity remains a great challenge. Here we show iron–nitrogen-doped carbon as an efficient and durable electrocatalyst for selective nitric oxide reduction into hydroxylamine. Using in operando spectroscopic techniques, the catalytic site is identified as isolated ferrous moieties, at which the rate for hydroxylamine production increases in a super-Nernstian way upon pH decrease. Computational multiscale modelling attributes the origin of unconventional pH dependence to the redox active (non-innocent) property of NO. This makes the rate-limiting NO adsorbate state more sensitive to surface charge which varies with the pH-dependent overpotential. Guided by these fundamental insights, we achieve a Faradaic efficiency of 71% and an unprecedented production rate of 215 μmol cm−2 h−1 at a short-circuit mode in a flow-type fuel cell without significant catalytic deactivation over 50 h operation., Electrocatalytic conversion of nitrogen oxides to value-added chemicals is a promising strategy for mitigating the imbalance in the global nitrogen cycle. Here, the authors present iron–nitrogen-doped carbon as an efficient and durable electrocatalyst for selective nitric oxide reduction to hydroxylamine.

The electrochemical reduction of CO2 (eCO2RR) using renewable energy is an effective approach to pursue carbon neutrality. The eCO2RR to CO is indispensable in promoting C-C coupling through bifunctional catalysis and achieving cascade conversion from CO2 to C2+. This work investigates a series of M/N-C (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) catalysts, for which the metal precursor interacted with the nitrogen-doped carbon support (N-C) at room temperature, resulting in the metal being present as (sub)nanosized metal oxide clusters under ex situ conditions, except for Cu/N-C and Zn/N-C. A volcano trend in their activity toward CO as a function of the group of the transition metal is revealed, with Co/N-C exhibiting the highest activity at -0.5 V versus RHE, while Ni/N-C shows both appreciable activity and selectivity. Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy shows that the majority of Cu atoms in Cu/N-C form Cu0 clusters during eCO2RR, while Mn/, Fe/, Co/, and Ni/N-C catalysts maintain the metal hydroxide structures, with a minor amount of M0 formed in Fe/, Co/, and Ni/N-C. The superior activity of Fe/, Co/, and Ni/N-C is ascribed to the phase contraction and the HCO3- insertion into the layered structure of metal hydroxides. Our work provides a facile synthetic approach toward highly active and selective electrocatalysts to convert CO2 into CO. Coupled with state-of-the-art NiFe-based anodes in a full-cell device, Ni/N-C exhibits >80% Faradaic efficiency toward CO at 100 mA cm-2., The research leading to these results has received funding from the A-LEAF Project, which is funded by the European Union’s H2020 Programme under grant agreement no. 732840. ICN2 and ICIQ acknowledge funding from the FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (projects ENE2017-85087-C3 and RTI2018-095618-B-I00) and the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 327 and 2017- SGR-1406) and by the CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya. ICN2 and ICIQ are supported by the Severo Ochoa program from Spanish MINECO (grants no. SEV-2017-0706 and CEX2019-000925-S).

Iron- and nitrogen-doped carbon-based catalysts are one of the most promising alternatives to platinum-group metal-based ones currently used in the fuel cell industry. Here, we study the effect of ...

Metal–nitrogen–carbon catalysts have emerged as the most promising platinum group metal-free catalysts toward oxygen reduction reaction for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. ...

The number of catalytically active sites (site density, SD) and the catalytic turnover frequency (TOF) are critical for meaningful comparisons between catalytic materials and their rational improvement. SD and TOF numbers have remained elusive for PGM-free, metal/nitrogen-doped porous carbon electrocatalysts (MNC), in particular, FeNC materials that are now intensively investigated and widely utilized to catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cell cathodes. Here, we apply CO cryo sorption and desorption to evaluate SD and TOF numbers of a state-of-art FeNC ORR electrocatalyst with atomically dispersed coordinative FeNx (x ≤ 4) sites in acid and alkaline conditions. More specifically, we study the impact of thermal pretreatment conditions prior to assessing the number of sorption-active FeNx sites. We show that the pretreatment temperature sensitively affects the CO sorption uptake through a progressive thermal removal of airborne adsorbates, which, in turn, controls the resulting catalytic S...

Morphology and porosity are crucial aspects for designing electrodes with facile transport of electrons, ions and matter, which is a key parameter for electrochemical energy storage and conversion. Carbon nanofibers (CNFs) prepared by electrospinning are attractive for their high aspect ratio, inter-fiber macroporosity and their use as self-standing electrodes. The present work compares several strategies to induce intra-fiber micro-mesoporosity in self-standing CNF webs prepared by electrospinning polyacrylonitrile (PAN). Two main strategies were investigated, namely i) a templating method based on the addition of a porogen (polymethyl methacrylate, polyvinylpyrrolidone, Nafion&reg, or ZnCl2) in the electrospinning solution of PAN, or ii) the activation in ammonia of previously formed CNF webs. The key result of this study is that open intra-fiber porosity could be achieved only when the strategies i) and ii) were combined. When each approach was applied separately, only closed intra-fiber porosity or no intra-fiber porosity was observed. In contrast, when both strategies were used in combination all CNF webs showed high mass-specific areas in the range of 325 to 1083 m2&middot, g&minus, 1. Selected webs were also characterized for their carbon structure and electrical conductivity. The best compromise between high porosity and high electrical conductivity was identified as the fibrous web electrospun from PAN and polyvinylpyrrolidone.

Wide local excision constitutes the standard of care for Merkel cell carcinoma, but the optimal margin width remains controversial.To assess whether narrow margins (0.5-1 cm) were associated with outcome.Patients were recruited from a retrospective French multicentric cohort and included if they had had excision of primary tumor with minimum lateral margins of 0.5 cm. Factors associated with mortality and recurrence were assessed by multivariate regression.Among the 214 patients included, 58 (27.1%) had undergone excision with narrow margins (0.5-1 cm) versus 156 (72.9%) with wide margins (1 cm). During a median follow-up of 50.7 months, cancer-specific survival did not differ between groups (5-year specific survival rate 76.8% [95% confidence interval 61.7%-91.9%] and 76.2% [95% confidence interval 68.8%-83.6%], respectively). Overall survival, any recurrence-free survival, and local recurrence-free survival did not significantly differ between groups. Cancer-specific mortality was associated with age, male sex, American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III, and presence of positive margins.Retrospective design, heterogenous baseline characteristics between groups.Excision with narrow margins was not associated with outcome in this cohort, in which most patients had clear margins and postoperative radiation therapy. Residual tumor, mostly found on deep surgical margins, was independently associated with prognosis.

International audience; One of the most important needs for the future of low-cost fuel cells is the development of highly active platinum group metal (PGM)-free catalysts. For the oxygen reduction reaction, Fe–N–C materials have been widely studied in both acid and alkaline media. However, reported catalysts in the literature show quite different intrinsic activity and in-cell performance, despite similar synthesis routes and precursors. Here, two types of Fe–N–C are prepared from the same precursor and procedure – the main difference is how the precursor was handled prior to use. It is shown that in one case Fe overwhelmingly existed as highly active single-metal atoms in FeN4 coordination (preferred), while in the other case large Fe particles coexisting with few single metal atoms were obtained. As a result, there were drastic differences in the catalyst structure, activity, and especially in their performance in an operating anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC). Additionally, it is shown that catalyst layers created from single-atom-dominated Fe–N–C can have excellent performance and durability in an AEMFC using H2/O2 reacting gases, achieving a peak power density of 1.8 W cm−2 – comparable to similar AEMFCs with a Pt/C cathode – and being able to operate stably for more than 100 h. Finally, the Fe–N–C cathode was paired with a low-loading PtRu/C anode electrode to create AEMFCs (on H2/O2) with a total PGM loading of only 0.135 mg cm−2 (0.090 mgPt cm−2) that was able to achieve a very high specific power of 8.4 W mgPGM−1 (12.6 W mgPt−1)

International audience; The membrane electrode assembly (MEA) is a core component of low-temperature fuel cells. The first step of MEA manufacturing is the preparation of a catalyst ink suspension in which the catalyst powder is homogeneously dispersed in a liquid solvent through mechanical or sonic agitation. In this work, we have studied the effects of catalyst dispersion in water or alcohol solutions and subsequent drying processes on the physicochemical properties of Fe-N-C catalysts and their electrocatalytic oxygen reduction activities. We find that dispersing the model Fe-N-C catalyst comprising only FeNxCy moieties in water and subsequent drying treatment change neither its bulk structure nor surface composition, as indicated by various spectroscopic measurements before and after treatment. However, zeta potential measurements, which are very sensitive to the chemistry of functionalities present on the carbon surface, reveal that the Fe-N-C catalyst becomes slightly more acidic, and that the change in their acido-basicity is magnified with a) increasing treatment temperature and b) repetitions of a same wetting/drying treatment. This small change in the surface acido-basicity of the Fe-N-C catalyst results in a measurable and reproducible decrease in its electrocatalytic activity, which shows a positive correlation with the zeta potential changes measured at pH = 1. Observed on the Fe-N-C catalyst but not on Pt/C, it is surmised that the electrocatalytic activities of the oxygen-reducing FeNxCy moieties are influenced by the surface chemistry of the carbonaceous support. Since catalyst wetting and drying processes are essential for MEA fabrication for fuel cells, these results suggest that careful attention should be paid to the conditions employed to prepare and dry catalytic inks for the family of Fe-N-C catalysts in order to obtain their highest possible ORR activity.

International audience; Fe–N–C aerogel catalysts were prepared by sol–gel polycondensation of resorcinol, melamine and formaldehyde precursors in the presence of FeCl3 salt, followed by supercritical drying and thermal treatments. The effect of the mass ratio of precursors on the microstructure, iron speciation and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) performance of the Fe–N–C aerogels was investigated by N2 sorption, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, CO chemisorption and rotating disk electrode in acidic medium. The best ORR performance (activity and mass transport) was obtained by an optimum balance between pore structure and active Fe-Nx species. Through acid washing, the durability of the catalyst was further improved by eliminating unstable and inactive species, particularly iron nanoparticles and iron carbide. From the CO chemisorption and turnover-frequency value, the surface sites were comparable with the highest values reported in literature. Finally, Fe–N–C aerogel catalyst was implemented a in membrane–electrode assembly with an active area of 25 cm2 and tested in single cell, emphasizing the importance of the ink formulation on the performance.

International audience; Iron and nitrogen doping of carbon materials is one of the promising pathways towards replacing Pt/C in polymer electrolyte fuel cell cathodes. Here, we show a synthesis method to produce highly active non-precious metal catalysts and study the effect of synthesis parameters on the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity in high-pH conditions. The electrocatalysts are prepared by functionalizing silicon carbide-derived carbon (SiCDC) with 1,10-phenanthroline, iron(II)acetate and, optionally polyvinylpyrrolidone, by ball-milling with ZrO2 in dry or wet conditions, followed by pyrolysis at 800 °C. The catalysts are characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, N2 physisorption and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. By optimizing the ball-milling conditions, we achieved a reduction in the size of SiCDC grains from >1 μm to 200 nm without negatively affecting the high BET area of catalysts derived from SiCDC. This resulted in increased ORR activity in both rotating disk electrode and anion exchange membrane fuel cell (AEMFC) environments, and improved mass-transport properties of the cathode layer in fuel cell. The ORR activity at 0.9 V in AEMFC of the optimized iron and nitrogen-doped SiCDC reaches 52 mA cm−2, exceeding that of a Pt/C cathode at 36.5 mA cm−2.

Replacing scarce and expensive platinum (Pt) with metal-nitrogen-carbon (M-N-C) catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has largely been impeded by the low activity of M-N-C, in turn limited by low site density and low site utilization. Herein, we overcome these limits by implementing chemical vapor deposition (CVD) to synthesize Fe-N-C, an approach fundamentally different from previous routes. The Fe-N-C catalyst, prepared by flowing iron chloride vapor above a N-C substrate at 750 ℃, has a record Fe-N4 site density of 2×1020 sites·gram-1 with 100% site utilization. A combination of characterizations shows that the Fe-N4 sites formed via CVD are located exclusively on the outer-surface, accessible by air, and electrochemically active. This catalyst delivers an unprecedented current density of 33 mA·cm-2 at 0.90 ViR-free (iR-corrected) in an H2-O2 PEMFC at 1.0 bar and 80 ℃.