Scalable nano-sized Fe-N-C catalysts for fuel cells: Evaluating the impact of iron precursors and CeO2 addition

This study investigates the influence of different iron precursors and CeO2 integration on the performance of FeN-C catalysts, aiming to replace costly Pt-based catalysts in fuel cells. Nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxides are synthesized through nitric acid and ammonia treatments for enhanced surface area utilization. Fe-N-C synthesis via iron decoration of these N-doped reduced graphene oxide using FeCl2, FeCl3, and FeSO4 precursors, along with CeO2 enhancement, is investigated. FeCl3 emerges as the most effective precursor, showing a substantial performance improvement (92 % and 54 % higher peak power density compared to FeSO4 and FeCl2, respectively). Additionally, the introduction of CeO2 leads to nearly 20 % increase in peak power densities for all developed Fe-N-C catalysts. This research highlights the potential of Fe-N-C catalysts, particularly those decorated with FeCl3 and integrated with CeO2, for efficient fuel cell applications, emphasizing their nanoscale advantages.