Enhanced Catalytic Performance of Pt-Free Iron Phthalocyanine by Graphene Support for Efficient Oxygen Reduction Reaction

It is commonly accepted that it is almost not possible to realize the large-scale practical application of fuel cells if the expensive noble metal-based electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) cannot be replaced by other low-cost, efficient, and stable ones. Herein, our studies demonstrate that iron phthalocyanine (FePc) supported on chemically reduced graphene through π–π interaction can act as a noble metal-free electrocatalyst with a comparable activity, long-term operation stability, and better tolerance to methanol crossover and CO poisoning compared with commercial Pt/C for ORR in alkaline media. The improved electrochemical activity and stability of FePc by graphene is mainly attributed to the inherent properties of graphene and the π-stacking interaction between FePc and planar aromatic structure of graphene. The as-prepared graphene–iron phthalocyanine (g-FePc) composite exhibits an efficient 4-electron pathway and can be used as a promising Pt-free ORR electrocatalyst.