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For the goal of practical industrial development of fuel cells, cheap, sustainable and high performance electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) which rival those based on platinum (Pt) and other rare materials are highly desirable. Non-noble metal based catalysts might eventually be a replacement for Pt as an oxygen reduction catalyst. Nanostructured carbon-based materials, such as nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube arrays, Co3O4/nitrogen-doped graphene hybrids and carbon nanotube–graphene complexes have shown respectable oxygen reduction reaction activity in alkaline media. Among these non-noble metal catalysts, the most potential typical catalyst of this type is produced by impregnating Fe into the pores of an activated carbon and heating in the presence of N to form a catalytically active site. Here we introduce a new type of Fe/N/C complex catalyst, synthesized from ferrous gluconate and Ethylene diamine as precursors in a facial, one step methods. This composite catalyst shows activity and low H₂O₂ yielding in alkaline media.

Oxygen reduction reaction, non-noble metal