Efficient oxygen reduction reaction of rare earth perovskite SmMnO3

[Display omitted] •Rare earth SmMnO3 perovskite was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis methods at 200 °C.•The catalytic activity of SmMnO3 towards oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium was studied.•The onset potential and current calculated for the prepared catalyst is close to the commercial Pt/C.•This work provides a useful exploration for the development of a stable, efficient catalyst that has the potential to replace commercial Pt/C. The present study elucidates the catalytic activity of SmMnO3 towards oxygen reduction reaction in an alkaline medium. Rare earth SmMnO3 perovskite was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis method. The structure, morphology, composition and particle size of the synthesized material were determined by different analytical tools such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM and XPS. To improve the electrical conductivity of the prepared catalyst, vulcan carbon (VC) was added during the ink preparation. Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activities of the prepared catalyst were studied in alkaline medium. The catalytic performances were studied with a rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE). A linear sweep voltammetric graph was plotted and compared with commercial Pt/C. The onset potential and current density calculated for the prepared catalyst is close to the commercial Pt/C. The stability and methanol tolerance showed better activity of the prepared catalyst as compared to commercial Pt/C. This work provides a useful exploration for the development of a stable, efficient catalyst that has the potential to replace commercial Pt/C.