Mn-doped ceria/reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as an efficient oxygen reduction reaction catalyst

Publication date: Available online 10 September 2019Source: Journal of Electroanalytical ChemistryAuthor(s): I. Hota, S. Soren, B.D. Mohapatra, A.K. Debnath, K.P. Muthe, K.S.K. Varadwaj, P. ParhiAbstractThe platinum based catalyst exhibits good “oxygen reduction reaction” (ORR) activity while its lower methanol tolerance and high cost obstructs its commercialization. In order to replace this precious metal containing ORR catalysts, transition metal oxides and their composites have been extensively studied. Among the various transition metal oxides, oxides of manganese have attracted massive interest because of their high electrochemical stability, availability, low cost, variable oxidation states and effective catalytic properties. Among the various rare earth oxides, CeO2 is extensively studied. To facilitate the catalytic activity of CeO2, either doping with transition metal and/or integration with a conducting framework is required. In this paper, we have reported the synthesis of manganese doped CeO2/reduced graphene oxide (Mn-CeO2/rGO) nanocomposite with varying manganese concentration using microwave mediated solvothermal method. The ORR activity of synthesized nanocomposites has been studied in basic medium. An optimized 5% Mn doped CeO2/rGO leads to highest ORR activity among the studied catalysts. The synthesized nanocomposite surpasses Pt/C in terms of methanol tolerance and stability.Graphical abstract
Source: Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research